Passing The Torch
by maryadavies
Summary: Ever wondered why Zidane says "I once knew a spikey headed guy who used swords like these)?
1. Passing The Torch, Chapter 1

PROLOGUE 

Deep below the surface of Gaia, a woman stood in a unusual cave with no exit or entrance. She was looking into a pool, glowing star shaped crystals floating around her face. Those crystals were everywhere, but they were thickest around the pool, as if they were waiting for her to do something. If there had been anyone else in the cave at the time, they might have found her a bit strange. Even if you managed to ignore the luminous eyes, shining green in a hue more like emeralds than the dull grey-green that was all most humans could manage, there was still the matter of her slightly pointed ears. There was also the fact that her steps sometimes seemed to carry her much further than humanly possible; as though gravity itself was far beneath her notice. She moved with a kind of self-conscious grace that would normally be associated with castles, great echoing hallways and enormous ballrooms, rather than this damp cave. 

She turned away from the pool, with a angry and upset look on her face. "Chaos, again!?", she muttered angrily, slapping the pedestal. She made a sour grimace, then crossed her hands over her chest. "Changing the winds of fate this time...why did that monster ever get reborn here? I managed to perform the ceremony to put events in motion long ago--so that the horror would come to an end...but now?" She spun around, glaring at the pool's reflective surface. "Things have gone too far..." She started to cry a little. "I hate this! I can't help him directly...I know that. This time, I can't even help him INdirectly!" She made a sound that was half-growl and half-sob, and pounded the edge of the pool in frustration. "If I do nothing...I'll be breaking two promises and my oath to protect reality in this system. If I did help directly, I'd be breaking my oath. I don't believe this! I'd be breaking my oath either way! There has got to be another wa...wha?" 

She straightened her back and looked straight ahead, far beyond the purely physical plane, with tear-misted, unseeing eyes. "Cousin?" she muttered to no one in particular. "You want to talk to me...oh?" She gasped; then her eyes shone with hope. She wiped away her tears. She continued muttering, "You think there is a way to solve my problem with the help of one of your world's saviors? You'll help me get him on this world...thanks but I want him here where I am...What? You think I'm crazy for wanting to bring him into my home? Yes, he might. But the humans are people too--they deserve a choice as much as we do. I'm willing to take a slight risk to solve this--I can always call you and send him back if he won't see reason. Hopefully he won't be so angry that I can't convince him to listen to me. You know I've had experience with regular mortals." 

She nodded to the air.   
"Okay, my dear little cousin Tara. Do what you can to get him where you can send him; I'll be ready. I'll hold my end, don't worry." 

Chapter 1 

...I was only going after a engagement ring for Tifa since I'd planned on asking the question that night at a big date we'd planned on. I'd started early yesterday afternoon so I could get back home in time to get cleaned up first. I didn't think anything could go wrong since everything had gone so well up until then. Yet something did. I was riding my best gold chocobo, Goldie, home from Rocket Town after I bought the ring and stayed overnight. Cid had let me stay at his place night before last. He did ask me to remember to invite him to the wedding; when I get back I'll do that once we set the date(if Tifa says yes. I've got my fingers crossed). I had started out early this morning (I admit I was taking the scenic route back home, which ran right past Mideel since I had thought to get a new materia too while I was about my business) when I saw this very strange looking woman teasing me. She was waving at me and shaking her skirt at me in a most annoying fashion. That seemed a bit weird; from the looks of her, I would of imagined something like that would be just about the last thing she would of done. I got a little too curious for my own good and followed her, leaving Goldie behind as I went into Mideel. She led me behind the new Pharmacy they had built when they rebuilt the town last year around that lake and...well...she opened a portal of light and Lifestream, which I was promptly sucked into. Little did I know what a little curiosity would get me into...I should of realized that lady was up to something fishy, or so I thought at the time.   
~~From Cloud's journal

_Why do I get into messes like this?_ Cloud thought. He was also somewhat peeved, for this was the third time he'd somehow left his homeworld without wanting to. And right before the night that he was going to pop the question on Tifa! That strange lady was certainly up to no good at all... 

Lights swirled and suddenly everything became solid again. He was in a cave with no exit. Cloud began to wonder just how the hell he was going to get out of there. There was a woman here who looked remarkably similar to the one who'd lured him behind the store and opened that portal. She also had the same regal air about her. That rousted his temper quite a bit more. 

The woman turned and faced him. 

"I apologize for bothering you, but..." 

Cloud growled. He'd had it. This woman had lured him away from home for the third time and was surely up to something nasty...enough was enough. A star-shaped crystal touched his hand...he brushed it away. He swore he heard whimpering as it floated quickly away. He drew his blade and advanced on the woman. With a loud yip, she popped away and reappeared on a tall pillar in the cave, well out of Cloud's reach. Cloud wished he wasn't alone; someone with a gun could of hit her! He tried using the most powerful Fire spell he could cast but she nullified it completely somehow. He tried again with the strongest Bolt spell he had, but with even less effect. Yet Cloud didn't see or sense any spell casting...all the lady did was raise one hand and the spell was nullified. He tried using Bahamut Zero in desperation, but the summon failed to work. It felt like he had mentally slammed into a wall instead of a connection sliding into place and Bahamut Zero gruffly asking him, _:What?:_. He shook his head to clear it; that had hurt! 

"Please stop this nonsense! Do you want to destroy someone else's world!?", the lady screamed. 

_Then again_, Cloud thought, _what does she mean?_ His grip loosened a little on his weapon. 

"What do you mean, lady!?" he snarled. "After you lured me behind the Mideel Pharmacy and YANKED me here...wherever here is..." 

The woman shook her head sadly. "I wasn't the one who lured you behind the Pharmacy; that was...well...my cousin. People say we are twins, though there is a large age difference between us. She helped me get you here, for it takes two of my people to hold open a dimensional gateway. I apologize for this trouble. I wish I didn't have to bother you; I know my cousin feels the same way. However, I don't have a choice in the matter if I want to keep this system in one piece. My cousin knew there was no other way to help me than to disrupt the melody of your life. That is why she offered to link with me and send you here. The other reason you shouldn't be doing this is I'm one of the pillars on which the reality of this system rests. If you destroy me, it'll fall apart. I am your only way to get home, too..." She looked at him pleadingly. 

_Revenge isn't worth it_, Cloud thought. He was still very suspicious, but he sheathed his sword, since it seemed useless to fight her as she was out of reach and she could nullify any magic he threw at her anyway. Besides, he couldn't even call Bahamut Zero. She also was his only way home; if she was telling the truth. "Why did you and your cousin bring me here, lady?! I was about to go home and propose to my girlfriend!" he yelled. He shook his fist at the woman, since he was still somewhat ticked off. 

She answered, "Because I need to ask a favor of you. However I'll give you a choice if you'll promise not to try to attack me anymore. Hear me out first, then you can either stay and solve a small problem I can't solve by myself, or I'll send you home if you wish. Either way you won't be gone more than thirty minutes in your world...that should be enough time to blame on a delay without it being excessive--unless you want to tell your friends about it of course. That is all right now. The choice is yours to tell your friends why you were gone or not." 

Cloud considered that. She was being pretty fair, but something still bothered him. By now his anger had pretty much vanished; he was still a little suspicious of her however. He wondered: _Why is it okay now and not earlier to tell Tifa or the rest of my friends about something like this?_ He wasn't sure if this woman was lying, but he wanted to know. 

"Lady, why couldn't I tell my friends about this earlier?" 

"I was thinking about before the time you and your friends saved your world; you wouldn't have seen one of my kind before that time, so you wouldn't of known who did this to you. We can't show ourselves, speak with, or directly help anyone who is--or will be--a savior of a world until after they have saved their world. In no way can we allow our very existence to be known to any world's saviors in any way before that happens. Those are two of the laws of the universe that my people and I must obey. I know it's been two years since you and your friends saved Vida. My people tend to be very shy and rarely show ourselves for caution's sake; that is why you have never seen one of us before. I'm something of an exception to the rule; I've been teased for being a 'daredevil' rather often. I think I'm the only one of my race who has the courage to talk to someone like you without being forced to do so." 

Cloud thought about what she had just said. It seemed to make sense, considering the other two times he'd been pulled away from Vida. He sure hadn't seen anyone like this woman before anywhere; when he had been pulled into a different world the last time, he had just been dumped there with no explanation. He knew the first time it had been Sephiroth's fault, not this woman's people. This woman seemed to at least be trying to treat him with respect by giving him a option to go home after he heard what she wanted to ask him to do. 

Cloud knew why she was calling his world the less common name of 'Vida' instead of 'the Planet'; it was so she didn't get confused about which world was which. Every world could be called 'the Planet' technically. He'd found that out the hard way on Ramza's world. He felt it was less confusing to tell people from other worlds that his homeworld was 'Vida' anyway. 

There was one thing that was really bothering him though, so he decided to ask her to take care of it if it was possible. He thought she might be able to. 

"I don't want this to happen again...I've had enough of this kind of nonsense...Promise me that I won't get called away again!" 

"I can and I can't." 

"Why can't you just promise it won't happen again?!" Cloud shook his fist at her in frustration. She was really being infuriating...why? 

"I promise I won't do so without sending you a message first through my cousin; however, I'm not the only one of my kind. There are many of my people, and they are quite a few of them that have taken a certain oath and are joined to worlds. I can't speak for all of them. I can't even speak for my cousin, who is quite soft-hearted and can easily be convinced to help open a dimensional gateway." She thought a few minutes. "Maybe there is a way. Can I trust you not to hurt one of my people, ever? Or try to hurt me if I come down from here?" 

"Huh?" 

"With the help of my cousin, since she knows how things work on Vida, I can give you the ability to summon my kind should you end up on a world that one of us is joined to. I would be shunned if I gave that such capabilities to anyone who would hurt or kill one of my people. I'm made fun of too much as it is." 

Cloud considered that. _No wonder I've been pulled away from Vida three times if almost every world out there has one of this race joined to each one! Even though I know it was Sephiroth the first time..._ he thought. He sighed. However, this lady did seem to be trying to be fair about it and was making a effort to find a way to solve this problem. Cloud knew he couldn't promise anything for his friends, so he realized that that is probably true with every large group of people or friends. 

"You have my word; I won't do either. And if you're trying to lie to me, you'd better forget about it and send me home right now!" 

She shook her head. "Our kind usually communicate mind to mind across the void. It is impossible to lie with one's thoughts, for mental contact relies on such. I'm one of the few of my kind that knows what a lie is, for a long time ago before the chaos arrived on this world, I used to walk among the ordinary people of this world as one of them many of your centuries ago, because I hated being alone. Even with mind-to-mind contact with the rest of my race, it gets boring and lonely." 

Cloud thought about that a minute. What she had said made logical sense, so he saw no reason to not go along with her for the moment. He nodded to her and said, "After you do what you can about my problem, I'll hear you out, I promise. Also, what's your name, if you have one? 'Lady' just doesn't sound right..." 

The lady nodded back, and answered, "My name is Nora." Then she floated down from the pillar. 

Then Nora's eyes unfocused. She held out her hands. A ghostly image that looked similar to her, yet was not quite the same, as Cloud quickly realized, faded in. The ghost held her right hand over Nora's hands and with the other reached behind her back. A strand of Lifestream flowed through the ghost lady's left hand, over her shoulder and down her right arm. When it reached the ghost's right hand the Lifestream seemed to become...well...as real as it ever was on Vida. Then it puddled as Mako in Nora's hands. In a moment the ghost brought her left hand over to join her right. There was a flash of light, and then in Nora's hands was a orange materia. 

Nora nodded at the ghost and it disappeared. She turned toward Cloud again. "Here is the way to call my people. This should solve your problem. With this you can summon the member of my race that called you to any world, tell him or her off, and talk him or her into sending you home. Don't try to lend it to anyone else, however. You are the only one who can use that materia. My people would severely punish me if just anyone could summon us. Most of my people just don't like to be bothered since they are very shy. Now a days, I don't go into populated areas any more or walk around as a normal person. It's just too dangerous." 

Cloud nodded pensively and took the odd materia. He sensed it was very powerful, and its color seemed to suggest that it was half a command and half a summon. The summon allowed him to call the member of Nora's people that was joined to the planet he was standing on, wherever that might be. The command half allowed him to communicate mind-to-mind with the member of her race that he had summoned. For one thing, this showed Cloud that she was indeed telling the truth. This also showed that her kind had a lot of power, which made Cloud think a bit. She could block his most powerful spells with a flick of her hand! Why was she frightened of going out of this place and solving her own problem? She obviously was powerful enough to defend herself if she got into trouble. Obviously there was a way out of this cave even though he couldn't see one. Nora knew how to get out or she wouldn't say she had left this cave before. 

"Why don't you just take care of your own problem?" Cloud asked. "It shouldn't be too dangerous for you. Why, you can easily block the strongest spells I can cast!" 

"No, I can't take care of it myself. Those who wield the power of chaos here would do anything they could to kill me if they knew I existed, for they think they have already gotten rid of the one who was joined to this system. What they killed was actually my uncle, who was my working partner and friend--it was very lucky that when he died at their hands this system didn't fall apart." She shook her head sadly. "Remember the laws of the universe I told you about earlier that I cannot disobey? They apply here too. The future heroes of the world are out there. I know who they are. I would be taking too much of a risk if I went out there now because chaos is still there; they haven't saved the world from it yet. I suppose you wonder why I don't just do it myself and get it over with: If I tried, I'd wipe away all life in this system; my people can't control that kind of horrible power. That power follows its own will when it is unleashed. For that very reason we never use the powers of destruction, as we can control the powers of creation much better than their opposite. Now, the favor I must ask of you involves one of those who are destined to save this world." 

"Just a second...the chaos you've been talking about that'll be destroyed by the future heroes of this world. It doesn't have to do with Vincent, does it?" Cloud hoped that wasn't true. Vincent was someone you didn't want to meet on a dark night, but Cloud was sure he wouldn't be causing trouble on other worlds. 

"No, no. Vincent isn't involved with the chaos on this world. He is not even here. He only ended up with a neutral shard of Chaos's original power, my cousin told me once. He is a lucky man. Most of the shards of Chaos's old power are contaminated with darkness. He could have ended up with a shard that was contaminated with Chaos's evil. Then he would have turned on you, for that evil stains anything it touches like ink, turning the unlucky recipients of those shards to darkness. The original Chaos was reborn here and has managed to restore his power. He used another method, however, to do it, though he still draws from the same wellspring that your friend does. His original powers were scattered as shards thoughout the universe when my people thought he had been destroyed... Please, no more. I don't want to dwell on that right now." 

Cloud nodded, glad Vincent wasn't mixed up in this; the former Turk had enough trouble to deal with as it was. She then motioned over to the pond, where a lot of the crystals like the one that had briefly touched his hand were floating about. She walked over that way and Cloud followed. 

"Listen, warrior who helped destroy the -creature- that was trying to destroy Vida for its own ends. There is one here destined to save this world as you saved yours. However in two weeks time at noon he is going to get into a fatal fight, if someone isn't there to save him from his tormentors! Also I'm afraid he needs one friend who can understand him and his feelings right now...I think you might be the person who can be that one, despite the age difference." 

She waved one hand toward the pond. It glowed. Curious, Cloud leaned over to have a look. A boy, who looked to be about ten or eleven, was reflected in the pond. What was odd about this boy though was he had a monkey tail, though the rest of him seemed fairly normal. Judging from his surroundings, the boy seemed to be in a very fancy town, sometime after sunset. The town itself seemed to be a little odd; there wasn't any streetlamps to speak of except a couple of either gas lights or lanterns. The boy was looking around for something. Suddenly some kids and a few teens jumped out of a nearby alley and pulled the boy into it. He did his best to fight back with everything he had, including...a dagger? He was pulled, kicking and fighting, deep into the narrow alley, where it widened out quite a bit. It was only wide enough for three people to walk shoulder to shoulder except at that point. Ten or eleven more kids joined in while the monkey-tailed kid did his best to fight back or get away. Then the view cut away to the entrance of the alley. There was a lot of screaming, yelling and the sounds of a very nasty fight, then silence. 

"That's what will happen if something isn't done. If things happen as they are likely to, the hope of the world will die with him, for he is the key person to save it from chaos..." 

Cloud's eyes widened. This incident looked on the surface like what had happened to him after the incident in the caves of Nibelheim. Someone had insulted him, he'd called the person...well...some rotten name which was too hazy to remember now, and he ended up pretty badly beat up after it was over. Once it was over, Cloud would always throw the first punch, for he didn't want to be the one beat up. But beating someone to death...! 

_Damn bullies!_, Cloud thought. _Now that I look back, I realize I was being dumb. I just turned into one of them. Should've just learned how to duck better until it blew over; then I wouldn't have become a bully myself. But this boy_--Cloud mentally tagged him as "Kat" since Cloud thought the boy moved kind of like a pussy cat. Cloud looked again as another scene played in the pool. Kat looked fairly tough, like he'd grown up on the mean streets; however in the scene he looked very tired..._Kat deserves a chance to live, same as I had!_, Cloud thought. _No matter what, he needs someone who can teach those idiots a lesson they won't forget. And this lady is asking me to what? Pull Kat's um...can...out of the fire? And be a friend to him?? Nora's powerful enough to block spells with a flick of her hand and has an idea of the future--and goodness knows what else she can do--and she is asking me to help her?? I'm only one person..and who's "Kat" really anyway?_

Cloud brooded a moment more on this, then he said, "What are you and who's that kid, anyway?" 

"My people are known as the Kinaari. I am known among my people as a thaaryi-rechak --the word doesn't translate well, but the closest is 'Guardian of this world', or 'Guardian' for short. To become one is considered a great honor among us Kinaari. Only certain people among those who ask to take the Guardian's oath ever become one--it takes a special person to be able to handle the power that comes with it without becoming corrupted. On the rare occasions when people see one of us, they sometimes call us oathbound ones "Mother Earth", "Green Mother", or "Gaia", as they've often mistook us for the spirits of their respective worlds. As for that boy..well..I dare not tell you his name at this time for I assume you'll have to gain his trust if you choose to stay and be his friend. It is better that you learn such things for yourself, but one thing you should know now. He was not born on this world, but on this planet's sister world. Just remember not to tell him that for he cannot learn that now; the truth may destroy him, and prevent him from fulfilling his destiny." 

"Sister world?" 

"This is a very unique system. Two worlds, three dimensions, and a shadow realm where this system's 'summon creatures' gather; all interacting somewhat with one another and balanced with great care. If the balance was ever broken reality here would fall apart. I am only one of the pieces that hold reality together and balanced, and I'd rather not talk about the others right now." 

_That's interesting._, Cloud mused. _So Kat wasn't born here, either, but guess he's under her umbrella so to speak._ Cloud thought that it was obvious why she couldn't help him, though he could. The law was the law and she couldn't break the laws of the universe, for there were likely some serious consequences for doing so. Such consequences must be severe indeed if she couldn't or wouldn't mention them! 

She continued, "If you decide to help me and save that child, I'll do what little I can behind the scenes to help you. However, keep in mind that he is older than he seems, for he's more mature in mind than he is in body in several ways. I beg you also, do not reveal the existence of my people to him or to anyone else unless you have a chance to ask me first; I know who everyone is that will be in the group that will save the world. If any one of them knew, it would disrupt the paths that they would have otherwise followed." 

Cloud stewed over this for a while. After several minutes, he finally made up his mind. 

"I'll do it. I'll also give you my word that I won't tell him about your people--or anyone else without asking you about it, no matter what happens. Poor boy..he's going to go though worse bullying than I went through, isn't he?" 

"If you were bullied when you were young then yes, he's probably going to suffer much worse if nothing is done. However for your trouble I can offer you two wishes, whatever you may desire that is within my power. One is an apology and the other is a reward for helping me fix this...problem." 

"I understand about a guilt-gift, but I don't need or want the other one. Why?" 

"As for the 'guilt-gift', my people feel that if we inconvenience someone that we are willing to talk to, we must make some kind of amends. And the other...I just think I ought to give you something for your trouble." 

Cloud nodded. It was a good answer, though he didn't really want a reward this time. "You know what got Sephiroth to try become a god by trying to destroy the world? Professor Hojo'd injected Jenova cells into Sephiroth before he was born. Jenova eventually made him into what he became...I don't wanna become something like that. Is there any way you can...get rid of the Jenova in me?" 

"I apologize, for that is beyond my powers, since Jenova is as much a part of you as your hands.", was her answer. Cloud bowed his head in disappointment. "But I can disable the Jenova in you to the extent that it will never again be able to take control, no matter how much you doubt yourself. It won't be able to manipulate your memories any more as well. Other than that you'll be the same person you always have been. I sense that you wish that Jenova had never manipulated your memories like it has. I'll ask Tara, who is the Guardian on your world, to offer to repair your memories when you get back so that they will be no longer be altered. I can't do that since it is beyond my power, as I am not Guardian of your world; I might make it worse. Your past, as well as your future, is mostly opaque to me because your roots are not here; if I can't see your past, I can't repair your memories properly. Disabling Jenova is no problem to me, though." 

Cloud nodded and smiled. "That'll do." 

"This is going to hurt quite a bit, though you will not be wounded at all. This is because I have to make changes to something buried within your cells. Please try not to scream." 

Cloud nodded again. Nora stretched her hands out toward Cloud. Next thing Cloud knew, he felt like his whole body was burning from the inside out. It hurt...Oh how it hurt! Cloud clenched his teeth, clamping down hard on the instinct to scream. After what seemed like an eternity, it ended. Cloud wasn't really hurt at all, he found, it had just been extremely painful. He didn't feel any different than he did before, which showed she was being honest. Cloud knew there were ways of hiding the truth without lying, and he didn't doubt that she knew them all. 

"I really don't want anything else...I just wanna save that boy from experiencing what I went through...that's reward enough..." 

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure you'll find a use for that wish one day. Oh, one more thing..." She raised her hand. A ball of soft light filled her hand and she dropped it on Cloud's head. Nothing seemed to happen offhand, but Cloud guessed she'd done something. 

"What'd you do?" 

"I froze your aging for the time being. If I must send you back in time when I send you home, you must not be any older. Otherwise people will notice since you most likely will be here longer than thirty minutes. I'll undo it when you're ready to go home. I don't know how long this will take; it may be years before things are settled. Do not worry about a paradox, for as long as you don't come back to Gaia during the time you were here, there won't be one." 

Cloud nodded again. He understood why she had done that. _I overheard two ShinRa scientists once who were talkin' about a theory of two 'selves' from different times meeting each other--they said the theory was it would cause a paradox, which would destroy reality._, he thought. _That idea gives me a horrible headache; I'm glad she won't try to prove those scientists right._

"Anything else you think you might need before I take you to the surface?", she asked politely. 

"Yeah. I'd better get some more of my materia from home, as well as a few other things. I guess there's monsters up there?" 

Nora nodded. "Yes, there are. I'll call Tara and with her help, we'll fold space for you so you can get them without anyone noticing. I don't need to tell you to be careful which ones you get do I? Tara told me about materia..." 

Cloud shook his head. "Nah, you didn't have to remind me! But I'll get what I need." 

Nora nodded, her eyes unfocused, and she held her hands out. There was a bit of a...warping...of the area in front of her, and then Cloud distinctly saw his bedroom. Cloud boldly walked into the warped area. He noticed that his world's Guardian, Tara, was doing the same thing Nora had been doing; she was holding her hands out toward the warped area with her eyes unfocused. He nodded to her and went into the hall, moved a picture, and got a locked box out of a cubby in the wall. Taking the keys out of his pocket, he opened it. Inside was many materia of all kinds. 

He considered the summon materia he had. Cloud suspected the reason Bahamut Zero hadn't worked was that there was no equivalent on Gaia. He guessed that the best bet he had was to stick with summon creatures that had a equivalent on Ramza's world. That probably would be safer. He put aside any summon materia that he hadn't seen a equivalent on that world. He also left the Master Summon alone; he didn't want to find out the hard way which summons didn't work if he had any choice in the matter. Bahamut Zero had been bad enough. 

He knew since that gang of bullies were picking on Kat in a narrow alley in a town, he'd probably would have to fight them there if things went wrong. He hoped he would manage to scare them away since he didn't want to fight if he didn't have to. If he had to fight them, he'd need a summon for sure--summoned creatures were a lot smarter than a spell in that situation. There was just too many of those bullies for a person alone without some kind of magic, especially if Kat couldn't help fight them off. If Kat was going to be killed in that fight eventually, then he probably would be disarmed or disabled early on. A spell would just hit Kat along with the bullies, considering the way he'd have to use it. The only way to do it without killing the bullies (even if he used a weak spell) would be to cast the spell in a very unfocused fashion. He could explain to a summoned creature that Kat was a friend so he wouldn't be hit by its attacks and that the "enemy" didn't need to be destroyed. They weren't much for conversation, though. 

He considered the remaining summon materia carefully, remembering what he had seen in Nora's pool. _Bahamut's no good in that situation._, he thought. _Most of that alley is a little too narrow for him to swoop down and scare those idiots. Besides, he'd rather do something other than sit on the wall and look dangerous. He'd think that'd be stupid. I think I'll take that one anyway since I might get a chance to summon him later when the area isn't so cramped. He would really scare those bullies if they dare try again. That's just the way bullies are--they never give up easily. Leviathan would make a mess too. He always goes for overkill-- especially in a tight spot like that. He would flood the street; that alley I saw looked too narrow to get out of the way in time easily. Everybody would just get swept out into the river in the backwash, including me and Kat, even if Leviathan was careful. I don't know if I could get us both out of that easily, especially if Kat was hurt. Ifrit...no, he'd definitely cause a fire. He has a terrible temper. Odin? Odin wouldn't have any room to move, let alone attack, in that alley. His horse is too big, and I know he won't fight afoot. That's beneath him. Ramuh? Nah..I didn't see any lightning rods on those buildings; he might cause a fire. When he first appears, his lightning bolts go everywhere; he can't help it. He told me that once. Titan? Nope, not only is he too big for that alley, but the resulting earth tremor would scare everyone near that part of town. Shiva? That's the one for that fight! She'd only ice the street a little..that would melt fast, especially if the weather is warm! And she wouldn't cause a big ruckus either! She also has a cool head in a fight; she wouldn't go for overkill! No one likes to be frozen..._So, making up his mind, he removed Bahamut Zero out of his Crystal Bangle and replaced it with Shiva, and he placed Bahamut in an empty slot for good measure. 

He already had a Master Magic, so he didn't get any magic materia, though he linked it with his most powerful All materia just in case. 

He relocked the box, put it back, and pulled the picture over its hiding place. He leaned against the wall for a moment, thinking about his actions. Having come to respect Nora, he now wished he'd of let her finish that first sentence instead of losing his temper. He now realized that she had been trying to treat him courteously. A female Instructor in SOLDIER had told him once that one should be careful to not make judgments about ambiguous situations by one's first impression. Cloud wished he'd remembered that when this had started. 

Cloud also wished he could remember the name, or just the face, of the Instructor who had given him that advice. Strangely, all he could remember was she was his favorite instructor as well as one of his very good friends there besides Zack. He also remembered she'd always used two large daggers instead of the usual two-handed sword. Maybe when this was over and his memories were repaired he could introduce that old friend to his newer ones from AVALANCHE, if she was still alive. He'd always hoped she'd gotten the hell out of old Midgar before Meteor hit. He would of liked to cross weapons with her in a practice session sometime, and catch up with the news. 

Cloud was curious as to what was so special about that boy, besides the monkey tail and that he was destined to save the world. _Why's Nora so intent on getting Kat a possible friend and protector?_, Cloud wondered. However, with the way Nora evaded telling Cloud much about Kat, he didn't think he'd be able to find out why she favored him. Why, she wouldn't even tell him Kat's real name! Cloud felt it was better to think of him as "Kat" until he found that out. Never mind Kat was "older mentally than he was physically"...he was still a kid as far as Cloud was concerned. 

Cloud moved away from the wall. Nodding to himself, he went back to the bedroom. Before he went through the warped area, he made sure his cell phone was placed in his pack where it was unlikely to be stolen or noticed and that he'd taken out the battery pack and put it in a drawer, since he knew he could always get a charged spare in Mideel later. He did that because he guessed there was a good chance that cell phone wouldn't work on Gaia. There wasn't as much technology there from what he had seen in Nora's pool. He also reached under the bed and got out some medicine he kept there. He hadn't thought he'd need all of it earlier since he was only going to ride Goldie to Rocket Town to get the ring, not do something dangerous. He knew he would probably need that medicine now. 

* * *

When Cloud got back, Nora nodded and lowered her hands. Her eyes focused again. 

"Did you get any summon materia?" 

"Yeah, I did..I got Shiva and Bahamut. Why are you asking?" 

"Good choices, both of those. I asked because the summoned creatures here are different than any you have ever seen. They are called Eidolons here. The Eidolons whose summon materia you bear are joined to a particular summoner; however, that summoner is terrified of her summon power and never uses it. So the Eidolons are bored and probably will listen to you this time. Just remember, when you use either one, concentrate harder on the Eidolon than the attack, or the Eidolion will not come. After you summon Shiva and Bahamut for the first time...well...they will judge individually if he or she will let you summon him or her again or not." 

"Gotcha.," Cloud said. He hoped Shiva and Bahamut would find him worthy. He knew he might need the help if things went wrong. He wondered why that summoner who could call those two Eidolons was terrified of her summoning powers. However, he was afraid that he wouldn't get a straight answer out of Nora about the matter, so he didn't ask. 

"Anything else you need to know?" 

Cloud shook his head. 

"Then let's go!" Nora said. She held out her hand. Cloud took it. The world swirled again; the next moment they were in a misty area, near a plain. At Cloud's back in the distance was some kind of large gate made out of stone. To his front was some woods. 

Nora pointed toward the woods. "That way is the dark city Treno, where you will find the boy two weeks from hence at noon. He's been searching for something very unwisely. You decide what to do about that." 

Cloud nodded. He got the idea. Kat had been wandering for a while he guessed, looking for whatever it was, and either what he was searching for wasn't smart or he wasn't being smart about searching for it. _Why's this town called the dark city Treno?_, he wondered. _I'll probably find out._, he thought. "Thanks! I'll contact you when I get this straightened out!" He stepped off toward the woods. 

Nora called out after him, "Don't hesitate to use that orange materia to call me if you get puzzled about something or need some advice. I'll always answer you, even if you're not ready to go home, I promise. I won't appear if you're with someone or in a city, but I will answer! If you haven't already guessed, that's not a normal summon materia!"   
Cloud turned, nodded, saluted her, and then went on his way. 

Go to Chapter 2? 

  



	2. Passing The Torch Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

...I went on to Treno. On the way I was attacked by a few monsters of course. I was expecting that. Some of them looked rather...well...odd...they were basically walking plants who threw chestnuts at me. That attack was annoying; it didn't injure me that much, though. They also had a nasty scream that hurt my ears, as well as they just attacked. I could kill them in one good hit, so they didn't bother me much (though I really hated that scream). About the fifth time I was attacked (I could see Treno by then, as well as a strange looking ship on land. I didn't know how it got there), I remembered what Nora had said about summoning and thought, even though I knew full well it was going to be overkill, that I'd better make sure I tried before I got to Treno. What if I had to do it in a hurry? What if I had trouble doing it Nora's way? Then my can--or someone else's--would be in the fire, for if I was forced to summon it would be an emergency anyway. I had to be sure. Well...it took three tries to get it right. I was getting pretty upset at myself when I tried the final time. Usually summoning is so easy, I can do it in my sleep, but this time I seemed to be wasting my energy. The third time...well...I got it, but it didn't play out as I was used to.   
~~From Cloud's journal

Cloud was getting very annoyed and upset with himself. Usually he didn't have this much trouble summoning anything. _Damn!_, he thought, _Why does somethin' so simple have to be this hard?_ The weird plant monsters danced in front of him, attacking and mocking him. _Okay then_, he thought. _One more try at this, then I'm gonna shred those monsters if I can't get the materia to work._ He took a deep breath, and he tried to summon Shiva for the third time, making sure he was doing it the way Nora had warned him . He had tried it that way the previous two times, though it had yet to work. It had felt like something was there, but he had grabbed at it and missed! The other two attempts had felt like a rubber band that he was using had broke and snapped him, not like it had felt like trying to summon Bahamut Zero. It was probably because he wasn't used to summoning this way. _That might've thrown my concentration off just a little bit._, he thought. Somehow, this time, he felt the materia finally activate; he could feel it connect, like if a switch had turned on or connection had snapped into place in his mind. He'd gotten it right--at last! He heard a female voice in his mind; he was expecting that. What he didn't expect was for Shiva to be talkative; on Vida, she always just said, _:Yes?:_ when she was first summoned. This time, however, Shiva said: 

_:What do you need me to do, stranger?:_

_:Get rid of these monsters!:_ Cloud answered in his mind. 

Then Shiva appeared. Cloud noticed she looked different than the Shiva he knew from home. The force of Shiva's Diamond Dust overwhelmed the monsters with ease. 

_Well, guess I should've expected somethin' like that._, Cloud thought. _Nora said Eidolons were different..._

Then, unexpectedly, Shiva turned toward Cloud from where she was standing in the air._ :How did you summon me? You don't have a horn...:_ Cloud heard in his mind. He also sensed the Shiva materia was still active._ :You shouldn't be able to hear me either. Why is this so?:_

_Guess this Shiva isn't used to someone like me summoning her._, Cloud thought. _:I can because I wasn't born here.:_, he answered. _:Anyone from my world can summon if they get ahold of the right materia and know how to use it.:_ He raised his arm that had the Crystal Bangle on it so he could show Shiva his materia. It was obvious which one was the Shiva materia. That one was still glowing brighter than it usually did._ :I think you're really speaking to me through the red materia that is glowin'; that one grants the wearer the ability to summon you--or of course my world's counterpart to you.:_ _What did a horn have to do with summoning, anyway?_, Cloud thought. _Maybe it does here though..._

Shiva chuckled, which sounded like tinkling icicles. _:By winter's blast!:_, Cloud heard her cry mentally. _:I never thought once I had been chosen by a member of the summoner tribe that someone else could call me! My mistress is terrified of her summoning power and I've been sitting on my heels for quite some time, though.:_ Shiva blinked. 

_:Why? Why's she terrified of her power?:_ Cloud asked. He'd wondered about the matter ever since Nora had mentioned it, even though at that time he'd thought he wouldn't get a straight answer. 

Shiva sighed and answered, _:Bahamut thinks it's his fault. As I have heard, her mother came down to get her for a masquerade ball late that afternoon. She was wearing an awful mask at the time. That mask scared my mistress very badly when she looked up from the book she was reading. My mistress panicked and summoned him blindly. Bahamut didn't know what to do. He began his attack without thinking, because he was somewhat affected by what was going through our mistress's mind. He managed to keep his wits about him enough to understand that hideous "creature" that she was panicking about was her mother, so he missed on purpose, destroying a nearby bookcase instead. It was lucky that one was empty or her tutor would of been slightly upset. Her mother was even more lucky; that bookcase could of very well been her. Bahamut's sorry, but he can't undo what he did. Neither can he apologize because she swore never to summon again, fearing what her power could do.:_

_:Oh, crap.:_ Cloud said, shaking his head sadly. _:The Instructors told us SOLDIER Trainees when they were teachin' us how to use materia to never, ever summon anything--or use any kind of magic, for that matter--when panicking. They said the results could be....unfortanate. Panic's one of the few feelings that can affect magic, and it affects summon magic more. I was told panic affects summoned creatures' judgment a lot, so you never know what might happen when you summon somethin' while you're panicking.:_

_:That's terrible! I never knew all that!:_ Shiva answered, her eyes wide with shock. _:But really, do you think it was it Bahamut's fault? I'd always wondered since he came back from that incident...He's been looking so sad and embarrassed in the shadow world ever since then--it was not a good moment for the King of Dragons. My mistress is such a cute little girl. She didn't deserve to be scared like that...:_

_:No, don't think so.:_, Cloud answered. _:It was very lucky he kept his wits. It would've been a lot worse for your mistress if he'd obeyed that panicky wish and killed her mother instead of missing. I'm sure that 'frightening your summoner half to death' is better than the alternative.:_

_:I guess you're right.:_, Shiva said. _:I suppose you're probably going to need me again sooner or later while you're still here, for I assume you'll be here a while. May I get a good look into your soul? I need to see what kind of person you are so I know if I can allow you to call me again...:_

Cloud had been expecting something like this, ever since Nora had told him that Shiva would have to test him to see if she would allow him to summon her again. He nodded to Shiva, who floated up to him; so close that if Cloud didn't know better than to try, he could of touched her. She gazed straight into Cloud's eyes; for a few seconds he thought that he was under a microscope or something like that. In a few moments, he saw Shiva smile. 

_:You're an honorable person. I can tell you won't abuse me or force me to do something I would regret. We Eidolons hate it when a evil or greedy person calls us. Even if we question the command we are given, we have no choice but to obey and aid in some way before we can return to the shadow world. We also have to come the first time we are called by a particular person. That's just two of the laws of the universe and we can't change them, though sometimes I wish we could. However, the second time a evil or greedy person tries to summon that particular Eidolon, that one always refuses to come for him or her. We do have some rights, after all.:_ Shiva bowed her head to Cloud. _:I'll come when you call as long as my mistress doesn't overcome her fear of summoning and start using her power again. We never allow two active summoners to be able to call the same Eidolon, since it is extremely unpleasant to be called by two people at the same time.:_

Cloud nodded. That made sense. Shiva had also explained something he'd wondered about for a long time; why the Instructors had warned the SOLDIER trainees never to summon anything without having a reason first. He'd never tried to call anything without a reason, but it didn't stop him from wondering why they had said that. If he remembered correctly, he'd asked; however, the Instructors didn't have the answer to that little question. Well, not an answer he remembered, anyway. 

Shiva continued, _:I know you don't summon like a member of the summoner tribe, but here...:_ She gave Cloud a handful of opals. _:Summoners here use certain gems to focus their powers. The opal is mine. I know you can't use one of these as a focus since you're not from this world. However, I can still draw from them to strengthen my powers. Please keep them on your person as long as you're here!:_

Cloud nodded. _:Okay.:_ He removed a pouch from his pack and placed the opals in it, then he put the pouch in his pocket. _That's interestin'._, he thought. _So, summoners here use gems to summon? Wonder what other surprises this world has?_

Shiva smiled. _:Before I go, how does your world's counterpart of me behave when you call her? I've never met her...:_

Cloud described what Vida's Shiva did every time she was summoned to this Shiva. She nodded. 

_:I promise, I'll appear fully for you every time unless I would be risking myself if I did that. We Eidolons have the ability to use our powers from the shadow world. We only do that if we're in a hurry or afraid that we could be killed in that particular situation. I won't do that for you unless it's absolutely necessary. You probably wonder why I have to be careful. It's rare, but if a Eidolon gets killed, the person that Eidolon is joined to also dies. You wouldn't be affected but my mistress would. Don't worry, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I also know how to judge the seriousness of a battle all too well. I won't let myself be killed, ever.:_

Cloud nodded. _I'm glad Shiva knows what she's doing, don't wanna have girl's death on my conscience. Wonder if Shiva's real summoner's one of the ones destined to save the world?_, he thought. _If there's some parallel to Ramza's world, and I think there is, then she's a powerful summoner indeed if she can call Bahamut! I don't think Shiva knows, though. That kinda thing isn't something you can tell about someone easily without knowin' the future._

It seemed very likely, however that Shiva's mistress was one of those destined to save the world. Sometimes, Cloud knew, one needed a summoned creature's extra firepower to get through a nearly impossible battle with you and all your friends still alive. He shivered, remembering the times that he or one of his friends had to use summon magic to get through such a battle. 

He looked up to Shiva and said, _:Thanks, Shiva!:_

Shiva hovered back and waved to Cloud. _:You're welcome! I'll tell Bahamut what you told me about his actions back then. Maybe he'll stop covering himself in shame and hold his head up for once!:_

Cloud nodded. _:Hope so for his sake; shame doesn't become the King of Dragons!:_ Then Shiva disappeared into the shadow world. Cloud smiled and continued down the road to Treno. _Need s'more summoning practice., _he thought._ I know, need to call Bahamut, but now's not the time. Need to save my energy for now. Besides, I'd rather wait until I'm sure he's over that incident._

Go to Chapter 3? 


	3. Passing The Torch, Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

....It wasn't long after that that I got to Treno. I promised myself before I went in I was not gonna try to lie in any way to "Kat" if I could avoid it, which included tryin' to be something I'm not. He'll have to like me for who I am. Some lying'll be unavoidable though--I know that I can't mention Nora to him or hint she exists to him. If it comes to that, I'll try to just not mention her and not lie unless it is absoutely necessary. After I walked into the gates had turned in the monster hides and the...well...as it turned out, the mantagora leaves to the bounty office...I got a good look around. I knew it'd be two weeks before "Kat" would show up (unless he was already there...I didn't know how likely that'd be; he could very well still be on the road somewhere). I'd no idea I was in for a few surprises. There was a couple of things I'd never seen in my life...including one that went "Kupo!". That one turned out to be helpful, however. My first priority, however, was to find a job somewhere (I can't live by bounties alone after all. Also getting those bounties would take too much time; I might miss "Kat") and somewhere to live for the moment (Inns can get too expensive very fast...). Little did I know that going into that inn's bar in the worst part of town for some lunch would end up the way it did. I ended up finding someone that'd not only give me the rest of the background information I needed, but had the connections to get me some wonderful guard jobs from some of the nobles as well as she just happens to have the easiest way to explore this continent, which is called the Mist Continent. However when I met that lady thief in the bar (Lucky she's just a friend; Tifa'd have my hide if she ever found out I was goin' out with anybody else) it wasn't the best of circumstances to start a friendship. Far from it.   
~~From Cloud's journal

Cloud smiled as he backed away from the Treno Bounty Office. He'd gotten a decent amount of gil from the monsters he had fought. 

_Should last me long enough to find a place to live and a job._, he thought. _Probably won't last more than a few days, but hopefully by then I'll have a steady income. Anyway, I know, I know... soon as I can afford it, I need to get some new clothes too. I'll have to blend in...though I got rid of that SOLDIER uniform years ago and changed to a dark shirt and slacks. I didn't wanna seem to be what I wasn't...well, except for the Mako eyes. That mark of SOLDIER isn't something you can get rid of by changing clothes--I get reminded of that every time I look in the mirror. That's more than enough of a reminder for me._

He put the gil in his wallet. Since the gil from Vida wasn't the same, he switched it for Gaia's gil and buried the gil from his world in a pouch deep in his pack. As he did, he touched something and brought it out for a second. 

_Damn!_ he thought. _That blasted Carbon Bangle again! I kept Aeris's after she was killed. I keep tellin' Tifa I'm gonna get rid of it, but somehow I haven't been able to bring myself to sell it or throw it out yet! If Barret knew, I know what he'd say: 'Ya dumb, sentimental spikey-head! Waddya still carryin' dat stupid thang around even though yo' over dat girl?'_ Cloud shook his head and put it back. _I know why I kept it in the first place._ he thought. _We were basically fighting in Aeris's memory back then, even though that wasn't my only reason. At the time, even though I told everybody to put Aeris's death behind them, I was still grievin' deep inside. So I kept the damn thing to remember her by. Now...I don't know why I keep this stupid thing anymore. Should've gotten rid of it as soon as I was over Aeris's death and started going steady with Tifa a year and a half ago. I'll sell it when I get home if I don't find a way to get rid of it here._, he promised himself. 

He looked around in another pocket in the pack...and brought out an antique pocketwatch that his dad had given him. His dad had died soon after. It had taken half the morning to get to Treno according to the watch. That included the four hours it had taken to get to Mideel from Rocket Town. He knew it would of taken three or four more to have gotten home to New Midgar if he hadn't been brought here, not including stopping somewhere for lunch. _Hold on!_, he thought, realizing something. _I don't know what local time is. I'll have to find a clock and set this. Don't want to miss Kat because I didn't know the correct time._ He put it in a pocket in his pack where he could grab it in a hurry, since he rarely wore that watch except on special occasions. The chain was prone to catching on things, which normally was a nuisance. 

Cloud put the pack back on and stood up. _I'll have a good look around town first._, Cloud thought. _Need to find the alley that the trouble's gonna start and see where everything is. I also need to find a job and somewhere to stay._ He set off away from the fountain, since there was someone near it that he didn't like the look of. He didn't want to start any trouble if it wasn't necessary. 

A little while later, Cloud found himself in the spot where Kat would be...fancy buildings all around. There was a lot of noise here--it kind of sounded like music, but it was very badly played. He started over toward the alley. As he walked by, he noticed something odd...there was a Moogle fishing? It had a yapping dog on a leash. 

_What?_, Cloud thought. _A Moogle? They...really exist? I thought they were only a children's story!_ He walked by and looked at the moogle curiously. 

The Moogle looked up. "Hm? Who's there?" 

"You can talk!?" _I didn't think they could!_, Cloud thought. _That game in the Gold Saucer never showed Moogles talking! Neither did the stories I read mentioned that!_

"Of course I can.", the Moogle answered. "Did you hit your head somewhere?" 

Cloud thought a minute. _Don't wanna explain this mess right now, so I'll play along...he must think I lost my memory... _"Kind of. I'm not sure which way is home right now..." 

"Hope you recover from that soon." The Moogle blinked. "I've never seen you around before, kupo." 

"Just got here." 

"Oh? You're newkupo here?" The moogle smiled. "I'm Mogrich, what's your name?" 

"It's Cloud. Say, have you seen a boy with a monkey's tail around here lately?" _It's worth a try!_ Cloud thought. 

Mogrich shook his head. "No, kupo. Not recently. I saw him a year ago with Tantalus..." 

"Who or what is Tantalus?" 

Mogrich blinked. "Tantalus is a famous troupe of actors. He seemed to be a little shy that day, though...he'd talk and laugh with the other members, but he didn't say much to me...Moodon told me that he thought something was wrong in a letter he sent me, kupo." 

"A letter?" _I guess there's more than one Moogle on this world and they send letters to each other somehow._, Cloud thought. 

Mogrich nodded. "Moodon lives in an inn in Lindbulm, kupo. Tantalus was making a ruckus across the street from there a few months ago and he saw that kid. Here, I'll let you see it." He gave Cloud a letter out of a pouch he was carrying.   
Cloud read it. A lot of it was gossip but near the end it said: 

Tantalus was doing something across the street--I don't know what, but it sure made a lot of racket, Kupo! I poked my head out to see what the matter was. I saw that monkey-tailed boy again. I'm not sure who he is, though he wandered into town and joined Tantalus four years ago. I hear he doesn't remember why he came to Lindbulm or where he started his journey from, Kupo! Also, I think something's wrong; there's some kind of longing in his eyes. It's really buried but it's there, kupo! I've noticed it the last three times I've seen him, Kupo! That makes me wonder if he's really okay, Kupo!  


Cloud guessed Lindbulm was another town somewhere. _So,_ he thought. _I'm chasing a actor or something? _ Cloud wasn't sure what to think of that. _Anyway,_ he thought, _Kat can't remember why he went there or probably anythin' before the trip...even where he came from originally, I'm sure. Longing in his eyes? Whatever could he be longing for? Whatever it is, it must've had somethin' to do with what's going on now...and what's botherin' him...but I'm sure Nora knew that. Maybe that's the reason he needs a friend..._ He gave the letter back to Mogrich. 

"Thanks for letting me look at that..." 

"Don't mention it. Hey, why are you looking for him anyway, kupo?" 

"Got a good reason, but I don't wanna talk about it all right? It's kind of personal." 

"I understand." Mogrich winked at him. "That way"--he pointed to the path that led to "Trouble Alley" as Cloud thought of it--"leads to the poorer part of town. There's a inn with a pretty good bar there I hear, kupo. That way"--he pointed down the main path--"leads to a auction house! Don't go there unless you have a lot of money to waste, kupo!" 

"Okay." 

"Don't worry about getting lost...if you do, you'll probably find your way back to the gate. Most of the paths lead there eventually, Kupo!" 

"Thanks for the information. I'm goin' over to that alley to check it out." 

"You're welcome, kupo!" Mogrich went back to paying attention to the rod. Cloud smiled and poked his head into the alley. He noticed a very bad minstrel in the corner, with his hat out. _So, that's what's making that terrible racket!_ he thought. There was the alley the trouble would start--over to the right. Satisfied, he backed away and went into the store, which looked like an old house. He'd seen the sign however. 

A few minutes later, Cloud came out. _They sure had a lot of weapons._, Cloud thought. _Not for me though, someone would have to cut my arms off to make me get rid of the Ultima Weapon! That armor was weird, too! I'd rather keep my crystal mail and my armlet though. They did have medicine though...But why'd anyone keep a monster under the floor in a cage for people to fight, anyway? I wasn't in the mood._

Cloud decided that he'd walk around some more. 

* * *

  
Three hours later, Cloud had gotten a good look at Treno. He'd been around twice and made sure he knew where everything was. He'd even found a card stadium, where people went to play something called "Tetra Master". Cloud didn't know how to play, so he had excused himself and left. He'd had no luck finding work, though. Now...it was getting dark already? _That's strange!_ he thought. Either way, he was starting to get hungry. So he went, past Mogrich catching dinner, and down past Trouble Alley to get to the inn the Moogle had mentioned. It really wasn't in a nice part of town. He'd discovered if he went one way here there was this odd lady who collected weird coins, as well as some other places that he wasn't interested in. He went the other way instead to the inn and went in. 

Bars in inns, Cloud knew, weren't just for booze; they usually served food too for guests and travelers. He didn't want any of the alcohol here anyway. He had discovered the hard way on Ramza's world that on other worlds, you never knew how strong that liquor in a bar was. _I'll wait for a drink until I get home and am at Tifa's bar._, he thought. _It won't hurt me to wait. I know I don't want to humiliate myself by gettin' drunk if the drinks turn out to be stronger than I'm used to. Ramza told me that the one time I did drink on his world, I turned out to be a very mean drunk. I believe him; the next day I had a bad hangover, anyway. Getting drunk would ruin my chances of getting a job in this town, since word can spread fast. I need to have a good reputation. I'll need it without any references if I want a job as a guard somewhere._

He asked the innkeeper which way the bar was and went the way he pointed. As he went in, he noticed that there was a lot of people in the bar. At the other end from the entrance, he noticed a strange girl talking with someone he didn't see. _I'm glad she didn't notice me. Dunno if she's a flirt, and it'd be hard to get rid of her if she is._ he thought. _Dunno how the hell I'd be able to mention a flirt to Tifa if I tell her about this adventure. I don't wanna deal with it, anyway._ That girl was unusual because she wasn't wearing a dress like the other girls Cloud had seen around Treno. She was wearing...well...what looked to be some kind of blue jeans and a shirt. The girl's flaming red hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, held by a leather cord. She had hazel eyes and looked like she was about eighteen or so. She wasn't really that pretty. First of all, she was fairly flat-chested. Then there was a ugly knife scar across her left cheek. That scar really ruined it. 

He looked away from the odd girl and sat down near the entrance. Cloud ordered the special with a root beer to drink; his choice raised a few eyebrows since he was obviously old enough to drink alcohol. They gave him his order. He paid for it. It cost less than he thought it would. Cloud settled down to eat. 

_Tifa has nothin' to worry about._ Cloud thought as he ate. _I've told Tifa that she's the prettiest girl of them all in my eyes several times. Meant it every time, too. Damn, I miss her already...wish this was over and I was in the bar, chattin' with her about old times...and maybe what we were gonna do tomorrow night..._

Just as Cloud finished his lunch, there was a crash at the far end of the bar. The barkeeper ducked. Cloud turned around, and ducked as a liquor bottle flew his way. _Damnit!_, he thought. _Wouldn't you know that there would be a bar fight--and I don't see a bouncer! Tifa would never run the bar--or have anyone else run the bar for her--without one! She's always prepared like that--yeah, she could handle some fights alone, but she's not always able to pay attention and she knows it. Usually, when someone dares start a fight there, they're either tough or have a lot of people with them. I've helped her a few times when the usual person was sick or needed a day off!_ He jumped out of the way of a thrown stool, which ended up knocking over the one he had been sitting on. Just then, the red-head stood up and got close to the fighters, who were fighting like if they were possessed. She reached for her belt with her right hand and pulled out something that looked like a crystal dagger with a longer than usual handle. With a click-clack-snickt-snickt, it extended into a--wha? A staff with a sword blade on each end? It looked like it was made out of diamonds, some other kind of gem that Cloud didn't recognize, crystal, and silver. She looked determined, like she wanted to say, "I'm going to teach them a lesson!" Cloud didn't doubt that weapon was dangerous. Pretty didn't always mean useless when it came to weapons. 

_Shit!_ Cloud thought. _I'd better try to talk that girl out of it! Those people are too drunk to know what they're doin'!_ He dodged a thrown glass, then ran closer to where the girl was, dodging more flying objects along the way. _Guess I've worked in Tifa's bar too much._, he thought. 

"Miss? Will you please put that erm...blade...away? Those idiots don't know what they're doing!", he yelled over the noise. 

She turned and looked at Cloud. "That 'ol dog don't hunt. Somebody's gotta stop 'em now, spook-eyes! Ted told me the bouncer's sick! I don't like doing this neither, but it has ta be done!" 

_Ouch!_ Cloud winced; he didn't like that nickname. He didn't want to be reminded by someone that he had Mako eyes. He didn't like the fight either, so he decided she was right. Besides, stopping the fight seemed to be the only way he could get that red-head to put her weapon away. He could feel that he was starting to get a little tired, but he felt he still had enough oomph to handle this. It had been a while since he'd cast as many spells in one day as he had today. 

He then called on the master magic and all combination he had equipped to cast the spell he'd just thought of. It sparkled over and through the bar fight. The fight stopped and all of the combatants fell like trees, asleep. 

_Ha!_, Cloud thought. _Works every time. Sleepel never fails when you're dealing with people that have had too much to drink. Good thing they'll wake up when they're sober...Wouldn't use it in Tifa's bar if someone had to hit them or somethin' to wake people like that up in a hurry._ He turned to look at the girl; her grip had loosened on her weapon. She looked stunned, like she'd seen something that she didn't quite believe. She also looked a little mad. 

"Miss? What's wrong?" Cloud asked politely. 

"What did ya do that for, spook-eyes?! I could ah handled 'em easy!" 

"Didn't want any trouble, okay? They didn't know what they were doin', they were so drunk." 

"I knew those idiots were drunk, but I could ah stopped 'em! And are ya some kind ah Red Mage?" 

"No, I'm not." _Uh oh!_, Cloud thought._ So, someone has to be a mage here to cast magic? And what's a Red Mage?_

"Oh, my goodness! The only other person I heard ah that can use magic who isn't a mage is Knight ah Alexandria called Beatrix! They say she can only use white magic, tho! How the HELL did ya do that?" 

"Well, um..." 

"Wait a second...Thought I saw somethin' flash on that bangle of yours when ya cast that...May I see it?" Cloud showed her the side of the Crystal Bangle with the Materia attached to it. "So...ya used those glowin' crystals ta do that?" 

"Not all of 'em, no. Just these two..." He tapped the master magic and the all materia. He looked around. The rest of the customers had run away. Cloud hadn't noticed earlier since he'd been too busy dodging things and ducking. 

The red-head noticed that. "Looks like they all left when the fur started ta fly." She raised her weapon. It retracted with a snickt-snickt-click-clack back into the long-handled crystal dagger Cloud had thought it was at first. She then sheathed it. She then picked up a stool that had been knocked over during the fight and sat down near Cloud. Cloud mimicked her. "I'm bein' rude; I haven't introduced myself. I'm Alanna Alys Mustokova ah Lindbulm. Just call me Alanna. What's your name, spikey-hair?" 

_Least she didn't call me 'spook-eyes' again., _Cloud thought. "The name's Cloud." He shook his head. "You wouldn't recognize where I'm from..." 

"Try me..." 

Cloud sighed. "I'm from New Midgar." 

Alanna's eyes widened. "Never seen that town before--an' I've been all over the Mist Continent!" 

"That's because I'm not from aroun' here."_ Must be what continent I'm on now._, Cloud thought. 

"Wha? Then how did ya get here without a airship, spook-eyes?" 

Cloud winced, then answered, "It's a long story, Alanna. And..." He shook a finger at her, "...don't call me 'spook-eyes'!" 

"Yeesh! Sorry 'bout that! Anyway, ya wanna talk about it?" 

"Not right now." Cloud thought a moment, then he asked, "Have you seen a monkey-tailed kid anywhere?" 

"Yeah, I've seen him. Don't know his name tho..." Alanna shook her head. "I was always too busy arguing with Baku every time I came ta Tantalus's hideout...he's been begging me ta join for two years now, ever since I managed ta steal something they were after right under their noses. I'm a darn good thief, you know; not the best, but I do okay. I understand that boy's better than me tho, considering his age. They may be actors sometimes, but they're also a thieves' gang." 

_Oh, that makes Kat a thief then... _"I guess Baku's the leader of Tantalus, right?" 

Alanna nodded. Cloud continued, "Why won't you join Tantalus?" 

"Not that I don't like Baku, but I just don't want anybody ta boss me around. I like being free and independent. Besides, Baku can be pretty rough sometimes; he also has no idea that I'm a girl." She grinned and snorted. "When I stole that treasure right under the gang's noses, I was disguised as a guy because the owner ah the house was a lecher. I always put that disguise back on when I have ta deal with Baku, since guys get more respect around here." 

Cloud grinned back. _I can guess how_., he thought. _She probably uses bandages or something and practices walkin' like a guy. _Alanna went on, "Weell, I never spoke ta that boy an' he never spoke ta me. But it's really hard ta talk ta someone while you're having an argument with someone else, an' he was usually doin' his lessons or havin' a practice fight with somebody. Blank--he's one I do know, an' I believe he's the only member ah Tantalus that knows I'm really a girl--said that that boy is kinda cheerful most ah the time, but he's been a liiiitttle quiet lately. Blank didn't know why. Last time I was over there about three weeks ago, that monkey-tailed thief was gone. Blank said he'd gone lookin' for somethin' a month ago an' didn't tell anyone what it was. Well--at least he told me later at the bar, over a game ah Tetra Master." 

Cloud thought a minute. Alanna not only seemed to know what she was talking about, she seemed to know that he didn't want another girlfriend. It was like if she'd been in Tifa's bar and caught him kissing Tifa after the bar closed. 

She smiled and asked, "Hey, ya got any friends back home? Why are ya alone?" 

Cloud smiled. "Yeah, I do. Being alone right now's a long story and I don't wanna talk about it." 

"Who?" 

"Well, there's Tifa, Reeve, Vincent, Yuffie, and Barret..." 

"Hey, are ya...more than friends...with Tifa? When you said her name, I could tell that ya love her or somethin'...I could see it in your eyes..." 

"She's my girlfriend. I was this close...", he held his fingers about an inch apart, "to askin' her the question before I ended up here." 

"Gah! That serious, huh?" 

"Yup, it's that serious." Cloud reached in his pack in the extreme back pocket, which was heavily padded. He pulled out a framed picture and turned it over to show Alanna. It was a black-and-white photograph of Tifa, laying on her front in the grass. Her feet were in the air, her hair was disheveled, and she had definitely been laughing. 

Alanna took a good look at it and cried, "She's prettier than me...I wouldn't even try ta compete with her!" 

"Yes she is, isn't she?" 

"This picture is almost as good as real life, except the color's missin'. Who painted it?" 

"Nobody--it wasn't painted." Cloud shook his head with a smile, putting his right hand on the glass. "It's done with a technique that they know how to use back where I came from called 'photography', they use a device called a 'camera' for that. The guy who was using the camera caught her by surprise." He laughed softly. "I remember when that happened; me and Tifa were chasin' each other around the back yard in a training fight when a friend of Reeve's happened by with the camera. Tifa fell on purpose, laughing like crazy since I'd said something silly. That's when that guy did it. Reeve gave us the pictures his friend took with the camera. I liked this one the best, so I keep it with me. She was fighting barehanded at the time." 

"She's kinda a Monk, then?" 

"Nah. But she fights a little like one." Cloud remembered Monks from Ramza's world. Tifa was not a Monk! 

"Well, even someone who's close to a Monk is not someone ya want ta fool around with--an' ya don't mess with her boyfriend, either, especially if he can fight. If Jeff wasn't waiting for me back home, I wouldn't even try 'cause I like livin'. I can tell ya love her a lot; I can see it in your eyes when ya even mention her name! Why are ya here instead of there, anyway? I'd love ta know what's up that would blow someone far away from home without a airship when they've got a girlfriend like that..." 

Cloud considered that._ Alanna could be a big help, if she's willing._, he thought. _Kat might listen to her if he won't listen to me, since he's at least heard her voice before, even if he doesn't know she's a girl. She knows this area. If she's traveled all over this continent, she must have a Gold Chocobo or somethin'...there's mountains and rivers on any world, and a lot of them are nearly impossible to cross without a Gold Chocobo or at least a Black Chocobo. But is she one of this world's future saviors? Can't tell her anything if she is...because I'd have to mention Nora sometime in the tale. I promised I wouldn't talk about Nora without asking her first. Nora said that I could call her if I got puzzled about something...well, I think now is the time to do it. First things first...have to excuse myself for a second. Well, there's always the oldest excuse that I know of..._

Cloud put the picture of Tifa back in his pack, fastened it, and stood up. "Excuse me for a second. I gotta go to the bathroom. We'll talk about it when I get back." Cloud didn't really have to go since he'd taken care of that earlier when he had the chance at the Card Stadium. He just wanted to be alone for a minute. 

"Gotcha. The can's over that way..." She pointed to a door on the wall by the far end of the bar. Cloud went in there, shut the door, and latched it. The "can" in here really was a can with a lid on it. Cloud wasn't here to use it though. He reached in his pocket and took out the orange materia. 

_I hope this isn't gonna be like summoning the Knights Of The Round Table!_, he thought._ I'll pass out if it is...and I'll be out for a week or two! Can't handle somethin' like that right now...Alanna might break the door down if it's that bad. She'll hear me fall on the floor and she'll know something's wrong--don't know her well enough to figure out what she might do. That'd be embarrassing...oh, stop worrying stupid, you know it has to be done if you're gonna be able to answer Alanna's questions...well here goes nothing..._

Very carefully, Cloud reached for the orange materia with his mind. One had to be careful with a materia that you'd never used before, Cloud knew. You never knew exactly what would happen... To Cloud's surprise, it only required his will to activate, not his will plus the strength of his mind, like a regular summon would take. He felt the link snap into place right away, with almost no effort. Phew! That was a relief! He saw Nora's ghostly image appear in front of him. 

_:You called me, Cloud? What is it?:_, he heard Nora say into his mind. 

_:Just a second. Can you hear me when I do this?: _Cloud didn't want anyone to hear him 'talking to himself', they'd think he was crazy. He'd never spoken to anything except summoned creatures mind-to-mind before and wasn't sure he was doing it right this time. 

_:Yes, I can hear your thoughts just fine. You needed to ask me something?:_

_:Yeah. Met a thief in this bar. She's called Alanna. She wants to know where I came from and how I got here. I was thinkin' about asking her for help. She isn't one of this world's future saviors, is she?:_

_:No, she isn't.:_

_:Why didn't you ask her to help ? It would've been easier...:_ Cloud wondered about that. 

Nora sighed_. :That would of been seen as 'directly helping' and I'd be breaking the rules. Since she was born here, I can't ask her directly to help that child. Oh? You've been thinking of him as 'Kat'?:_

Cloud realized what she had done and said angrily, _:Don't read my mind like that, okay? Can't I have any privacy in my own head when I use this thing!?:_

_:I understand. I apologize; I won't do it again. I forgot for a moment that your people don't share thoughts like my people do. That was at the surface of your mind right now, along with a couple other things. I promise I won't tell anyone about what I saw because it would be embarrassing.:_

_:It already is. Just don't do it ever again, okay!? I've had enough of people poking around inside my head!: _Cloud really didn't like that. He wasn't sure what he'd been thinking about at that moment. He didn't want anyone to know his private thoughts. 

_:I won't do it again, I promise. Anyway, since your roots aren't here, I could ask you for help. If you met her, you could ask her to help you.:_

_:Oh, a loophole, huh?:_

Nora chuckled. _:Right. If you ask her to help you, I won't be punished for breaking the law. Just please don't let anyone overhear you telling her about me or anything about 'Kat's' problem. You never know who else might be listening if you told her here. Don't worry--from what I've seen, you can trust her with your life. She always keeps her word, and she's an honorable person, too. For a thief, anyway.:_

_:You didn't make her cross my path, did you?: _Cloud hoped not. He didn't like that idea at all. It reeked too much of what Jenova had done to him. 

_:No, I can't do that. Another of the laws of the universe that I'm subject to is I can't interfere with people's free agency. That means that I can't force people to do anything. I could get the wind to blow something in her path so that she would trip over it, but I can't force her to go anywhere or do anything.:_

_:Whew!...How come I can see you? I thought you said you wouldn't appear in a town...:_

_:I'm hiding on the edge of the shadow world. The Eidolons don't mind as long as I don't make a pest of myself. It's one of the ways I look around this system now, since Chaos doesn't pay attention to the shadow world. No one else but you can see me right now, though.:_

_:Shiva told me that Bahamut got really upset when he scared his young summoner half to death. Is he over it now?: _Cloud hoped so. 

Nora's image turned around, then she turned back._ :Yes, he's no longer sad. He's as proud as he usually is. I think what you told Shiva helped him a lot. I understand that Shiva told him off for his behavior, too. I understand she wanted to tell him off for some time. She thought Bahamut was being ridiculous.: _She smiled. 

Cloud smiled back._ :Good. I never thought the King of Dragons would ever act the way Shiva described. He's usually too proud, even on Vida. Besides, I may need to summon him sometime.:_

_:That he is, that he is. You might have to call him eventually, even I don't know all that's going to happen. I've got to leave now.:_

_:You shouldn't be able to do that...:_

_:I'm not a Eidolon. I'm not bound by the summoned creatures' rules. I could of left at the beginning, but I knew you wanted to ask me something, so I stayed.:_

_:Will the orange materia still stay active if you go? I don't want that...:_

_:No, no. You think me and Tara would be that stupid? It'll turn off as soon as I say I'm going to leave and then go away, if you don't object to me leaving, that is...or you can just command it with your mind to turn it off if you like. If you ever use it to summon a Guardian on another world because they rudely yanked you there, make sure you're fresh and haven't used any kind of magic at all that day. You may have to 'scream' at them or hold that Guardian there with your will. Either one would take a lot of effort. They won't be as willing as I am.:_

_:Thanks. See you later...:_

Cloud concentrated on the materia again. It was really easy to turn off the connection; it was just like turning off the light back home. _It's like I was born to use this materia!, _Cloud thought as he put it back in his pocket. _It's almost no effort on my part...that's good. Who knows? I might have to use it sometime when I'm a lot more tired than I am now. I'll remember what Nora said about Guardians on other worlds though. She knows about that materia, she helped create it!_

He unlatched the door and went out. There were some big, strong people dragging out the drunks. In one corner, alone, was a very tough looking guy, however. You couldn't see his face for all of the red hair, though he did have blue skin and long arms. Alanna was still sitting at the bar, looking that way. She looked a little worried. 

Cloud walked up to Alanna and asked, "What's wrong?" 

She pointed toward the tough guy and said, "It's Salamander. We'd better get out ah here before he notices me. He's nothin' but trouble." 

"What do you mean?" 

Alanna shook her head and sighed. "He likes ta go lookin' around for tough warriors ta fight. He always kills 'em, since he's too much ov a hothead ta hold back. You'd better stay away from him if ya want ta see your girlfriend again!" 

_Yikes! _Cloud thought._ I really don't want to fight that guy! _"If he's that bad, I don't want to meet him. Let's get outta here." 

Alanna nodded. "Really good idea; he's been bugging me ta fight him ever since I showed up in Treno a week ago. I know who not ta mess with an' he's one ah them!" She got up and headed for the door, trying to look calm. Cloud followed her. 

Just before they reached the door, the guy Alanna called "Salamander" called out, "Hey you, thief. I want to challenge you..." 

"Fugitaboutit, Salamander! Lemme be!" Alanna yelled back. Then they were out of the door to the bar and on their way out of the inn. Salamander didn't follow them. 

Alanna looked behind her. "Phew, glad he wasn't in the mood today ta follow. He can be a right pest sometimes. I hope he finally figured out that when I say no, I mean no!" 

"Hope so. Say, what's that weapon you're carrying, anyway? It isn't a dagger..." 

"You're right, it ain't. It's called a 'thief's swordstaff'. Mine's named a Lunar Shard. Swordstaves take a lotta skill ta use, an' they tend ta be attuned to the wielder. Not many thieves can use one, an' the girls' swordstaves are harder to come by than the guys'. The jewels on it are Moonstones...they're really rare." 

"How come it seemed to extend on its own when you drew it?" 

Alanna laughed. "No, it didn't. A thief's swordstaff is extended an' retracted via the wielder's will when he or she draws it. So I have ta think at it that I want it ta extend or retract when I'm getting ready for a fight. It'd be really hard ta sheath otherwise!" 

Cloud grinned, remembering what it had looked like extended. "No kiddin'. I can't think of a sheath that would hold that thing!" 

"Hey, Cloud. Ya gonna tell me how you got here or not?" 

"I think so, but I'm afraid I gotta go somewhere private to tell you about it." 

"Why?" 

"It's not something that I really want anyone to overhear." He nodded in the direction of the bar. 

Alanna laughed. "I gotcha. I wouldn't want that Salamander ta know what I was about if I were ya. It's none ov his beeswax! C'mon, let's go ta the house I'm rentin'. I'll get us some water from the pump an' we'll chat s'more. Don't feel like makin' any tea right now an' heatin' up the house..." 

Cloud nodded. _Nora said I could trust Alanna._, he thought._ She said you can't lie mind-to-mind and she was telling the truth; you can't. Maybe there's more to this girl than Nora could see...even if she doesn't seem to miss much, it doesn't hurt to be careful. _"Okay, lead on." 

Alanna led Cloud out of the inn and further into the worst part of town. It didn't take long for them to get to where Alanna was staying at the moment; a small, old house that, considering that the poorer people lived in the area, was in extremely good shape. Alanna took the keys out of a pants pocket and opened the door. She grabbed a candlestick that was sitting on a table next to the door and lit it, carrying it with her as they went into the house. They went into the kitchen. First, she reached up, lit an oil lamp with the candle, then she blew out the candle. Then she excused herself for a moment and came back with a pail of water with a dipper in it. She reached for one of the cabinets and brought out a couple of mugs. She put the mugs and the bucket of water on the table and gestured for Cloud to sit down. 

"Now will ya please tell me how ya got here an' where New Midgar is? I've been wondering like mad..." 

"Before I say anything, will you promise that you won't tell anyone about anything I'm going to tell you or show you right now? It's important..." 

"You have my word on my honor as a thief that I'll never tell." 

Cloud then told her his story, not leaving anything out. He even showed her the orange materia and the cell phone to prove his story. Alanna was amazed and asked quite a few questions about what had happened and about Vida. Cloud answered them the best he could. 

She finished with, "Wow...ya think ya can trust Nora?" 

"Yeah, I do now. She may've had to bring me here against my will in the first place, but she was being a lot more respectful than the other one. I know what happened the first time I was torn away from Vida and whose fault it was, but the second time I had no warning. Whoever that Guardian was never explained why he or she did it--to put it bluntly, I never saw him or her. As for Nora--I promised her I'd save that kid, and I will." 

"You're like me then--it'll be a cold day in hell before ya break a promise like that, right?" 

"Right." 

"I see." She winked at Cloud, then she thought about what Cloud had told her for a while. When she'd obviously made up her mind, she said, "You got me interested. I want to help ya save that kid 'cause he doesn't deserve to die. From what I've seen and from what Blank told me, he's a great thief an' is a good person at bottom. I admit, I hardly ever agree with that Baku, but I respect 'im. I know he's got good people under 'im. Besides, the Regent of Lindbulm trusts Baku an' his gang according ta what I hear. I don't want one ah his guys killed, really...an' for what? 'Cause they don't like that kid's tail or somethin'?" 

Cloud nodded pensively. "Probably. Bullies tend to pick on kids that are different in some way. It gets worse if you let them know that it bothers you when they do something to you." 

Alanna growled a little. "Well, I think I can help ya more than just savin' that kid. I suppose you're tryin' to get settled in, right?" Cloud nodded. "I saved a noblewoman's daughter's life four years back. I just happened ta be in the right place that time an' I hate seeing anyone get killed. I've seen too much of that an' I never wanna see someone die in front ah me again. She gave me an airship in return, as well as I gained a friend." 

"Airship!?" 

"Yeah, an airship. Didn't ya see it before ya came into town?" 

"There was a weird looking ship on land. I didn't have any idea how it got there! It didn't seem to make sense at the time!" 

Alanna chuckled. "That was my airship. I named her the Angel's Wing. That airship would be the way ta get ta Lindbulm, tho. That kid'll have ta go back ta Tantalus sometime." 

Cloud chuckled. "Never thought a airship could look like that, though. Cid's Highwind didn't quite look like a ship! The Highwind was a lot bigger than that, too!" 

"What? Are you talkin' about the Regent?" 

"No...Oh, is the Regent named Cid too? I was thinkin' about another of my friends back home, Cid Highwind. He's quite a foul-mouth, but he's got a good heart and is an excellent pilot." Cloud smiled. 

Alanna grinned back. "Yup, the Regent is Regent Cid. Didn't know there'd be a Cid on a different world. The Regent is quite a skirt-chaser, but he doesn't have a foul mouth that I know about--well, I guess unless he banged his hand with a hammer when he was buildin' airships. He designs all ah 'em an' helps build all the prototypes." 

Cloud nodded. _Seems like this Cid is associated with airships too!_, he thought._ Guess the more things are different..._

"Anyway, thanks to that noblewoman's gal, I have contacts that should get'cha as many guard jobs as you need to keep yourself goin'. I also know my landlord's trying ta rent a little place down the street a piece. He doesn't ask questions an' ya can leave with a couple ah days notice. It looked like a pretty good house even though he offered me this one. It won't be expensive; I only pay three hundred gil a week ta stay here, not including food and stuff like that. I checked around first; that guy's an honest man, he'll never cheat 'cha." Cloud smiled and nodded; that was cheaper than a lot of inns and it sounded like just what he needed. Alanna continued, "After ya take care ah that, I know about an old noble that takes an afternoon nap an' sleeps like the dead until suppertime." 

"What for? You aren't going to steal somethin' from him, are you?" 

"Nah; not this time. I was thinking ah 'im since he's got a clock that keeps good time. He always has a back door open, too. Either I could sneak in there an' set your watch or ya can come in with me and set it. It doesn't matter." 

Cloud nodded and took out the watch. "You set it, okay? I don't wanna get caught breaking into somebody's house. I'll show you how. You be careful with my watch okay? It's a family heirloom..." 

"No prob." 

"And don't you dare get caught!" 

Alanna winked and chuckled. "That's every thief's watchword. Don't get yourself caught!" Cloud showed her how to set the watch. Then they both went off to find the landlord. 

* * *

  
Alanna was as good as her word. That landlord was friendly and easy to deal with. She'd been telling the truth about him and about the rent. Alanna afterward snuck into the noble's house she had mentioned and set Cloud's pocketwatch with ease...and without waking that old snorer up. She gave the watch back afterward. It had been an hour slow. She was also able to line up a job for Cloud for tomorrow evening, doing guard duty at a party. The one who had originally been hired to do that had gotten a bad case of the flu. She had said that she might of been able to get him a job for that night, but she knew Cloud had been traveling without an airship and she had thought he'd rather rest today. Cloud didn't mind. She showed him shops and the market where one could buy food in this town. She said she didn't go to that bar very often since there was a good chance she'd run into Salamander yet again. 

Cloud also found out that Alanna was twenty-eight and had been a full thief ever since she was eighteen. Her parents had died when she was seven, and she had been forgotten about in the confusion afterward. She'd wandered around town for a while after that, lost, scared, and alone. She started stealing so that she could eat. One day, a old thief found her, which turned out to be a very lucky break. He turned out to be one of the better thieves in Lindbulm. He took her in as his apprentice, since he was not only sorry for her, he'd thought she was something special. She had turned out to be his only apprentice that was able to learn how to use swordstaves and one of his best students. 

He realized he'd been lucky to run into her. She'd originally come to Treno to steal a treasure from a very stupid noble who would not fix a back window for some reason. She didn't think any other thief knew that, so she thought that could wait. She'd gone to the bar that day to meet a friend. She'd poked her head in there, hadn't seen Salamander, and then gone in to have lunch and chat. It was just an amazing coincidence that this had been the day he'd gone into that bar for lunch. 

* * *

  
Four days later, Alanna came over and asked Cloud if he'd like a better look at the Angel's Wing. Cloud was curious how that thing flew, so he nodded and got his blade. They wouldn't be gone that long, since the airship was just a little outside Treno. 

They'd trained together several times since they'd first met. Alanna knew where to get wooden practice blades in Treno, which helped. Cloud had always managed to wear Alanna out, probably because of the Jenova/Mako infusion he'd unwillingly received at the hands of Hojo as well as the training he'd been through. However, she was a good fighter, if not as strong as Cloud's friends back home. She was also everything that Nora had made her out to be. She was also known to help people sometimes, but only if she was interested in their situation or she felt sorry for them. She had a good head for planning things out and rarely rushed into anything. That was how she'd managed to get that treasure ahead of Tantalus that one time--she'd checked out the place thoroughly first and found a way in that house that the gang had somehow overlooked. She said she thought it had been sheer luck and that Tantalus was usually more through than they had been on that occasion; someone had been very careless. She'd also admitted that when she did go to steal something, she preferred to sneak in and out without either being seen or noticed. She did that by waiting until the owner was asleep or by using disguises. She'd even worn a dress on several occasions--and had carried a fan to hide her scarred face--to get into someone's house to steal something since most people didn't expect a girl to be a thief. 

That first job she'd arranged had turned into fairly steady work, guarding parties, homes, and sometimes even somebody who was nervous about thieves. He was well paid, too. He'd been able to get some new clothes that were like what people wore around here after the first job, though he still wore dark colors. Cloud now could pick and choose what job he wanted to take, which was a relief. He didn't want to work anytime near noon since he might miss Kat later. 

It didn't take them long to get to the gates of Treno and walk outside. Just as they got outside the gates, a group of Mantagoras pounced. Cloud warned Alanna, then he summoned Bahamut since he had not yet done that. After the experience he'd had trying to summon Shiva, it was easy. He heard Bahamut say, 

_:Friend of Shiva's, what do you need me to do?: _in a deep, echoing bass voice. 

Cloud answered,_ :Destroy those monsters!: _Bahamut appeared and overwhelmed them. 

Even though she had been warned, Alanna still trembled like a leaf as Bahamut flew close and looked directly into Cloud's eyes, testing him afterward._ :Shiva was right. You would never abuse a Eidolon. I will always come at your call unless my mistress overcomes her fear, Cloud! Thank you for telling Shiva what you told her!:_

_:You're welcome. She chewed you out, didn't she?:_

_:Yes, and she iced my tail a little, too. I deserved it for letting something like that bother me so long. She also said that she thought our mistress would eventually get over her fear. I await that day eagerly so I can finally apologize. I'll do the same thing Shiva said she'd do for you since I assume the Bahamut on your world always appears for you. I believe you know what these are for...: _He threw Cloud a handful of garnets with one claw, which Cloud added to the pouch with the opals. 

_:Thanks, Bahamut! Fly high, King of the Dragons!:_

_:You're welcome, and I will!: _Bahamut roared, and then disappeared into the shadow world.Alanna turned to Cloud and said, "G G G G Goodness, you're just fffffull offf sssssurprises, aren't 'cha?" She was still shaking like a leaf. 

"You could say that--you sound like one of my friends from back home, though. You've never seen someone use summon magic before, have you?" 

Alanna got ahold of herself and said, "Nope. There's stories that some mages can summon if they have the proper gemstones, but it's never been proven. I've never found a record of it, anyway--well, not in my noble friend's library. Her pappa is a collector ah rare books an' she got 'im ta let me come in and read if I wanted ta. I've always been curious, so I've taken advantage ah that gal's generosity several times. That Bahamut scared me so bad I almost wet my pants, even though you warned me--is he always like that?" 

"He doesn't always act like that, but yeah, he's always that scary. He's a proud creature. Don't worry, the other summon materia I have is Shiva. She doesn't look scary at first, but beware her ice attacks." 

"I believe ya, Cloud. I've read the stories about Eidolons. I've never seen a real one before, tho." 

While they were talking, they were walking toward the ship that Cloud now knew was an airship. It looked a bit like a flat-bottomed ship with odd rudders and propellers in strange places, though it wasn't very big. They were almost there when another group of monsters pounced. There were ten of them. 

"Oh, crap!" yelled Alanna as one of the Mantagoras screamed at her. She clapped her hands over her ears. She slashed at it, making its leaves droop. "Aren't 'cha going ta summon somethin' again?" 

"Nope. Only summoned Bahamut because I needed the practice! He had to test me anyway. It's not a good idea to use that powerful a spell on weak monsters like this." Cloud clobbered a Mantagora as he said that. 

"Why?" Alanna said as she dodged a Chestnut and slashed at the Mantagora she'd hit before, killing it. 

"Let's just say that I don't think I need to right now!" Cloud cried as he destroyed another Mantagora. 

Cloud got two more Mantagoras; they seemed to be picking on Alanna quite a bit this time, so he threw her some medicine, which she used gratefully. She also killed one too. Suddenly, something odd happened to Alanna. Her eyes went all dreamy; some kind of light appeared around her feet, and then there was a mini-lightning storm--pink and white--that swirled from within her and around her. She was also surrounded by white light--it seemed like an explosion. It ended in a minute, but now Alanna was glowing from the inside out with a fiery white light. He couldn't see the color of her eyes or her hair any more since they were glowing too. 

"What the hell!?" Cloud cried. Alanna shook her head. "Don't worry, spikey-hair. I'm fine! Let's get 'em." She moved faster than she had before and destroyed a Mantagora in one hit. _Oh my! _Cloud thought._ What got into her? She couldn't do that before... _He killed another Mantagora. It didn't take long to kill the rest of them. Alanna closed her eyes and focused. The light faded from the top of her head first and then faded away in a shower of rainbow sparks. 

"What happened to you, Alanna?" 

"I'll explain once we get on the ship, okay?" 

"Okay." Cloud knew she was only being smart. There were more monsters out there. It wasn't long before they reached the ship and climbed aboard. They both sat down on the deck for a moment. 

"Now, what happened to you out there?" 

"Okay, I'll explain, then please, tell me why ya didn't use summon magic again. I'm not sure what that's called, but that increases my strength and power. It happens when I get mad enough that I start fightin' with my feelings. I think of it as "takin' it ta the next level". It's a kind of power that comes from deep inside my soul. It wears out after awhile. I read in Watson's Book ah Legends that it's triggered by a surge ah emotion--mostly the negative ones that rise in a fight. Guess this time it happened partly 'cause we were attacked again so fast, though. I just clean lost my temper." 

"Didn't that book tell you what it was called?" 

"Unfortunately, it didn't go inta that much detail. I hear there's another rare book with a better explanation in Alexandria Castle's library. I'm not sure that's true an' I don't wanna mess with any ah the Alexandrian Knights, 'specially Steiner and Beatrix. One ah these days I mean ta find Mogster. They say that Moogle knows all ov the legends, as well as all about how the world works, and can answer questions about that kinda thing." 

"How'd you find out you could do that!?" 

"It's a sad story. One day, after I turned fifteen, I was goin' to buy some cheese for the thief I was apprenticed to. I met a friend of mine on the way. Her name was Lisa. She was a apprentice Red Mage. On the way back, some thugs jumped us. Lisa tried, but she wasn't that good yet at black magic. She also needed ta work on her fighting a lot. She got killed quick, right in front ah me." Alanna shook her head sadly. "I was so upset, hurt, and mad because I felt she didn't deserve it, I thought I'd explode." Tears flowed down Alanna's cheeks and she sniffled a bit. She took a handkerchief out of her back pocket, got ahold of herself, wiped away her tears, blew her nose, then continued, "Then somethin' snapped inside me while I was tryin' to save myself from poor Lisa's fate--an' next thing I knew, I felt power surgin' through me and I was glowin'. I felt really strong all ah sudden. I gave 'em a few good whacks, an' then they ran like scared chickens. After that, every time I got so mad that I wanted ta tear a monster or anyone I was fighting into little bitty pieces because I hated it or what it was doin' to me or a friend and started fighting with my feelings, the power would return. Had ta learn ta control that power some, though. Otherwise I would've been in big trouble a looong time ago." 

"Wow." Cloud was sorry that Alanna had lost her friend. Alanna continued, "So, why didn't you use summon magic again?" 

Cloud sighed. "I knew it was overkill. You don't pound a nail into the wall with a sledgehammer, do you?" 

"Nah. That would be dumb." 

"The only reason I used it the first time was to save trouble later. I had to call the Eidolons whose Materia I bear once each. Then, they'd each test me to see if they'd let me call them again. Also, summoning works a little differently here. The focus isn't the same as I've been used to. That's the other reason, I needed to make sure I could do it in a hurry." 

"I gotcha. Hey, I always wondered...how does magic work, anyway?" 

"It's a force called via the strength of a person's mind and will. On my world, people use Materia to call magic, like my master magic here." He tapped it. "Without a special materia called an "All" to link with a magic materia, people from my world can't cast magic on multiple targets. Red ones, like these," he tapped the Shiva materia, "are summon materia. That kind calls a summoned creature if you use it. You call them Eidolons. I'm not sure how your people do it..." 

"I remember Lisa told me before she got killed that magic is mostly a matter of study an' practice. She said her master had told her that if a person didn't have a affinity for a particular spell or type of spell, he or she couldn't learn it. An' if ya don't have any aptitude for magic, ya can't use it at all. Kinda like if ya don't have any talent for a particular weapon, you'll never learn how ta use it very well. I've heard stories about some mages that can use gemstones as a focus ta summon. Also, it's said that members ah the summoner tribe can summon without gemstones 'cause they have a horn." 

_That's really interesting. _Cloud thought. He continued, "She was right, it takes practice. Most magic materia get stronger with use--so do most other kinds of materia. The master magic materia is one of the exceptions. Also, as one continues to use magic via either method I believe, your mind gets stronger. Then you can cast more and more powerful spells, kind of like doing exercises to strengthen your muscles. But if you overdo it...you end up passing out. You're out of it for a day or two, then when you wake up, you have a blinding headache that keeps you in bed for weeks." He shook his head. "I didn't listen to the Instructors one time and overused a Ice materia once in practice when I was younger. I was in the infirmary for three weeks; I always listened to them after that." 

Alanna whistled. "That was dumb--ya should ah listened. The thief who I was apprenticed ta would ah backhanded me if I did a bonehead thing like that! That is, if thieves could do anything like magic!" 

"Well--I didn't get punished. The Instructors felt the headache I got was punishment enough. They were right--it was." 

"I know ya can summon Shiva since you've said ya can. Do you ever summon her...just ta look at her rear? I've seen drawings ah that Eidolon..." 

"Are you serious!?" Alanna nodded. Cloud continued, "No, never. They taught us Trainees when we were learning about summons to never ogle Shiva. It makes her upset. They told us if we ever had that summon materia and needed to call her, to think of cleanin' the bathroom or diggin' latrines or something like that to force yourself to keep your mind on the fight that you summoned her for. Oh, Shiva might ignore a guy's ogling once or twice, they said. But eventually, before she leaves for the shadow world, she'll give you a faceful of ice for your trouble and then laugh at you. I'm not gonna try to test that! Summoned creatures as a whole can be a law unto themselves." 

Alanna giggled. "By the way--ya hinted that anyone can use materia on your world. Do ya think that anyone here could use your materia if they stole 'em?" 

"You're right about my world, though a person would've to learn how to use Materia first before they can cast any spells. It's a matter of concentration, and it's easier if you discipline your mind. However, on other worlds, only someone from my world can use Materia. I found out on Ramza's world." 

"What happened?" 

"A Black Mage borrowed my Ifrit materia in a emergency. He got me to tell him exactly how to use it first. I'd been hurt in the last battle so I couldn't go. You'd think a Mage would have no trouble with a magic-type materia right? Wrong. He couldn't even touch its power. He kept trying and then he passed out. It was just like if he'd overused his powers. He wasn't out of action as long, though." 

"Owch!" Alanna shook her head. "I'm never gonna try...I'd probably end up worse than that Mage! Not that I steal from friends anyway...I don't, ya know that by now. Enough ah this, lemme show ya around." 

They both got up and Alanna showed Cloud around the airship. The cockpit looked quite a bit like a sailing ship, except there were extra levers. Some of them Alanna had chained up, to keep anyone from stealing her ship, Cloud guessed. She explained the Mist Engine and about Mist, which surprised Cloud. He asked, "You said that Mist spawns monsters. Is using it for power safe?" To which Alanna answered, "Far as I know. They've been usin' it for years an' nothin' bad's happened that I know ah. They're workin' on inventin' steam powered engines now. I heard a boiler exploded three weeks ago an' killed some people. Until they solve that problem, I wouldn't go near a steam engine! Mist engines are safer than that! I hear they're working on solving the boiler problems tho. If they ever do, airships won't be limited ta the Mist Continent no more. Not many people wanna walk or sail, they wanna fly." Cloud nodded. 

They got off the airship and went back to Treno. The monsters seemed to not be there at the moment, for they got back unmolested. _We've eleven days left before Kat gets in trouble._, Cloud thought. He and Alanna had discussed it endlessly in their spare time, making plans on how to rescue Kat from the creeps. Alanna had a fairly good idea on a way to get the drop on those bullies--literally. Cloud smiled. All they had to do was make sure that Alanna's idea was feasible and then, hopefully, those idiots would run away and leave Kat alone. 

The pair split up. Cloud checked his watch. He had to get to work in a couple of hours. _Well, _he thought._ Hopefully, everything will go well. Can't afford to mess up, for I don't want that kid to die. It's not that he's destined to save the world, it's that everybody deserves a chance to live their lives out._ He went on his way to take care of the errands he had to run that day before the guard job he had that afternoon. 

Go to Chapter 4? 

  



	4. Passing The Torch Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

...Alanna's idea was sound. All we had to do was get on the roof of the general store, then use a little rope to hang in the dark low enough so we could drop off without spraining something. Then when the trouble started, we'd drop off, draw weapons, and scare those idiots into running away. She said it was an old thieves' trick that had gone out of vogue because people started watching for it. She felt that these bullies hadn't heard of it since no one had done it in years. She'd also figured out how to distract the shopkeeper long enough for me to get up there without being heard or noticed. But as the saying goes, "Battle plans never survive the first contact with the enemy" and so it was here. The first part went okay; it was the "scare them to death and make them run away" part that didn't work. Lucky I had a backup plan--that is, call Shiva. And when I finally got to talk to Ka--oh yeah, Zidane...he'd been hurt and I had to use a cure spell on him. What I didn't exactly expect was to find out exactly how Alanna had been fooling Baku into thinking she's a guy. She's one canny thief and pretty sly too. I'm glad I did meet her though...she's been a good guide and friend, though I didn't expect Zidane's reaction to her--well, I didn't expect how he'd react to her when he first met her. I didn't expect to have a lot of trouble getting to know Zidane either, but he was really tired and hungry and slept a lot the first day. But once I got a chance to talk to him...really talk to him...I found he's a nice guy and Nora was right...he IS older mentally than he is physically, though I found out later that could change in a matter of a year or less.   
......I admit that the second time I rescued him, Bahamut really scared him...I hope Bahamut and me helped him nip that fear in the bud. If my theory about Bahamut's and Shiva's mistress is correct, he'd better not be afraid of Eidolons or he'll be in trouble later when the real adventure starts. I still don't know what's bothering him, but it's going to take some time for him to trust me enough to tell me. That kind of trust--no, friendship--isn't built in a day. I think everybody knows that.   
~~From Cloud's journal

The day had finally come. That day, Alanna and Cloud met at eleven-thirty at the entrance to the path to the general store. The first part of their plan involved getting on the roof. Alanna was ready...what she was about to do was cause a minor fuss. She'd showed Cloud a drainpipe he'd use to get on the roof, but Cloud was "too noisy" so there would need to be a distraction. Like most smart thieves, Alanna was good at not being noticed when she wanted to be, but this time she was going to pretend to be sick...and basically get all eyes on her for a moment. This would also get Mogrich mad if he figured it out, since Alanna was planning on messing with that Moogle's dog. Hopefully no one would notice Cloud shinnying up the drainpipe--or kill Alanna before she could get away. 

Alanna turned to Cloud. 

"Okay," she whispered. "Let's do it. We got a half ah hour... 

"I know. Be careful, okay? I hope Mogrich doesn't figure it out..." Cloud whispered back. 

"Don't worry, I won't let 'im. But once he realizes why, I don't think he'll hold a grudge. I have a feelin' he'd not min' helpin' save that boy." They got to the end of the path near the general store. Cloud flattened himself against the wall; Alanna imitated the sound of someone barfing, then staggered out. She "accidentally" stepped on that dog's tail. The dog nipped at her and barked; she pretended to puke on the other side of the path. That dog ended up nipping a poor noble by accident, who gave Alanna a kick. The shop owner came out and started hollering--she didn't like the noise. Poor Mogrich was going, "Sorry, sorry, sorry, kupo, kupo!" Cloud took the opportunity to shinny up the drainpipe. He flattened himself on the roof and waited. A few minutes later, Alanna quietly climbed up. Cloud didn't see her use the drainpipe; he didn't see exactly how she got up. She grinned at him, showing him a wallet she'd flitched. 

"Who did you steal that from?" Cloud whispered. 

"That ugly noble who kicked me. He deserved it. Can't do much liftin' like that no more tho. Not after I got that scar on my puss...it's just too memorable an' I'm too old ta play 'wide-eyed innocent kid' any more." she whispered back. She reached in her pack and pulled out a rope. 

"Okay, now for step two..." Alanna whispered. With Cloud's help, she tied it in the middle to the chimney, and threw the ends of it so they dangled into the alley. Cloud nodded. They quietly snuck over to that edge of the roof. Then it was down the rope to hide in the dark until the trouble began. The rope did not go to the ground; if it did, it would be noticed. The ends were just low enough so they could both jump off without spraining an ankle or something. Neither of them said anything. They just held on and waited, like someone waiting for a fish to bite. 

Time passed. Suddenly, there was some hollering, and Cloud saw the fight begin. He nodded to Alanna; she nodded back and got ready to jump. Cloud did the same. They waited until the trouble was right under them. Then they jumped down, landed, and drew their weapons, holding them in the "guard" position, yet in a fairly intimidating fashion. One of the twenty or so kids who were picking on Kat yelled, "Just who the heck are you?" The kids milled about for a moment; Kat looked up, startled. He wasn't hurt that badly--yet. Ten or eleven of the kids were still pushing him around a little and keeping him from getting away. He slashed at them again and again; they kept dancing out of his reach, like they were a little afraid of that dagger. 

Cloud snarled in a very icy tone of voice that a certain young ninja back home would of found very familiar and that had made her tremble when she had stolen the Materia, "Your worst nightmare! Leave that poor boy alone or else..." 

Alanna added very loudly and angrily, "What did he do ta ya? Git out ah here now an' leave that poor guy alone if ya know what's good for ya!" 

One of the bigger kids yelled, "Or else what? Guys, they ain't so tough. Get 'em!" 

Some of the kids ran in their direction. Everything seemed to go into slow motion; Cloud later realized that the fight had only taken a few seconds, though it seemed longer at the time. That was not unusual; when a situation turned ugly like it had, seconds counted, so either one got used to thinking quickly on one's feet or you were dead. He did his best not to severely hurt the ones without weapons; he was just hitting those with the pommel of his blade, knocking them out. If someone had a weapon, he'd aim to disable the kid, not kill. He felt that killing them would make him worse than them. Alanna was disabling the armed kids and knocking out the unarmed ones since she felt the same way. Out of the corner of his eyes, Cloud noticed that the rest had jumped on Kat. Just as he noticed that, Cloud suddenly heard a sickening crunch and a cry, and Kat's dagger went flying. Three kids were jerking Kat around. He was holding his right arm, with tears streaming down his cheeks. It had been broken. _That's a really dirty, nasty way to disarm someone!_ Cloud thought. Realizing that there was no way that either he could get over there in time or Alanna and him could take care of all of these idiots in time, he concentrated, calling Shiva. In his mind, Cloud heard Shiva say: 

_:Cloud? What is it?:_

_:Shiva! Quick, save that kid before he's...:_

_:No problem! I know what I'm going to do. Don't worry!:_

Cloud saw a ghostly image of Shiva behind the kids that were jerking Kat around. She raised her hands; Kat's tormentors' arms were suddenly coated with ice. The ice didn't touch Kat, who was startled yet again. The kids that had been iced yelled, scared and crying because they hadn't seen the Eidolon. The others milled about in confusion. Shiva then appeared over their heads and used a very weak Diamond Dust attack, which also missed Kat by a hair. The kids screamed. Kat reached into one pocket with his one good hand, whimpering a little because he had to let go of the broken arm, and threw something. Whatever it was made a loud noise and some white sparks, like fireworks. When the sparks disappeared, he was gone. Shiva raised her hands like she was going to attack again. The kids all yelled, "Run! Run! Or we're gonna be made of ice! But we'll get you yet, you monkey-tail, wherever you are!" They dashed away. Shiva giggled, then disappeared. 

Cloud looked around. He was worried, for he had thought he'd seen that Kat had a few wounds besides the busted arm. _He needs a cure spell used on him quick!_ Cloud thought. _ But where'd he disappear to? Did he run off!? Hope not...if he did I'll have a hard time finding him again..._

He turned to Alanna and said, "Do you have any idea where that kid went?" 

"Nah. He used a special technique for gettin' away quick, tho." She looked around--then she noticed something. "Looky there, ye old spiky-hair..." She pointed to a wooden trash bin near the back of the store. At one end of the bin, there was the tip of a familiar tail poking out and twitching. "He's bein' careless...I otta yank that..." 

"No, don't! I think he's just tired and in terrible pain." _Pulling that tail may be tempting, but he's had enough! Why else would he have run like that?_, Cloud thought. _I know Red XIII doesn't like kids to pull on his tail. I think Kat would feel the same way...especially if he's hurting..._ He said, "Alanna, please find that dagger. I'll see you over by that rubbish bin, okay?" 

"Okay. Won't be long. It'll take me a minute ta find it tho; I didn't see where it landed." 

Cloud ran over to the trash bin, squoze around it, and took a look, trying not to wrinkle his nose since the rubbish stunk. There was Kat, tears running down his cheeks, breathing raggedly with his head bowed. He looked miserable. His clothes were ripped in a few places--they were ruined because of the blood and tears. He was bleeding sluggishly from one arm and one of his legs. Cloud reached over carefully and touched Kat's left shoulder. 

"Hey. Kat? You okay?" 

"Kat" looked up, with a slightly insulted look on his face. "That's not my name, Mr. Glow-Eyes! Where did you get that?" 

Cloud winced. _Oops! Forgot about that...but I don't think it's a good time to comment on that name he called me. One, he's in pain. Two, I deserved that..._"Sorry. I saw you earlier and thought you moved like a cat." 

"Kat" nodded. "Gotcha, glow-eyes. Don't call me that again!" 

Cloud winced again and said, "I understand. What's your real name?" 

"It's Zidane. Who are you?" 

"I'm Cloud. Let me help...I can fix that arm..." 

"Leave me alone..." 

Cloud shook his head. "It's partly my fault--if I'd called Shiva just a second earlier...you wouldn't of been hurt..." 

Zidane took a long look at Cloud. _Where'd **he** come from? Dropping out of the sky like that with that girl...I think I've seen her somewhere..._, he thought. _And what can he do about this now?_ He wanted to cry because of the arm but he didn't want to do that in front of someone. He could still feel the tears streaming down his cheeks; he couldn't help it. He also felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded, as well as he ached in several places where he'd been kicked or punched or gotten tagged by a weapon. His heart was still pounding and his stomach was also in a knot. Cloud finished walking around the trash bin and came up next to him.   
He continued, "I can cast the Cure spell on you if you'll let me, so it's gonna be okay..." 

"You can!?" _Woah!_ Zidane thought. _Only seen that one once..._ Cloud nodded. "Will you, please?" 

"Yeah. Don't worry, it won't take long." 

Cloud nodded to Zidane, then he placed his hands together and closed his eyes. The next moment, the green crystal on Cloud's bangle flared into a bright glow and light appeared in his hands; a white light appeared around Zidane. It was a gentle power...that washed over him, taking all his pain--and the dizzyness and the lightheadedness--with it. The light shortly faded. He now felt better and his arm was fine now. There was one problem, however...his stomach had unknotted and now was complaining bitterly and loudly. He was also still pretty tired...he hadn't gotten much sleep the last few nights since the monsters wouldn't leave him alone. 

_Ooh...wish I had enough gil to get me a bed and something to eat..._ Thoughts of food danced through Zidane's mind for a few moments; he got ahold of himself and pushed them out of his head with a effort. _Can't think about that right now...gotta keep my mind clear somehow. Gotta figure out what I'm gonna do now... _Aloud he said, "Thanks, glow eyes." 

Cloud winced, and then said, "You're welcome, but don't call me 'glow eyes', okay?" 

"Sorry, I won't do it again." _Why didn't he comment on that earlier?_ Zidane thought. 

Cloud then leaned down and bent his knees, and then he offered Zidane one of his hands. _I bet I know--he wants to help me get up..._ He nodded, took Cloud's hand, then used both Cloud's help and his own legs to get back on his feet. 

Just then, the girl yelled, "Ha! Found that dagger!" 

Cloud grinned. "Don't bother coming behind here...I'm coming out in a second!" He turned to Zidane. "Let's get out of here...my friend's waiting..." 

"I heard those guys...are they still there?" 

"No, I think they're gone--they ran away right after you got away. I don't think they'll be back anytime soon--but if they come back...I won't let them hurt you again, I promise!" Cloud touched the hilt of his sword meaningfully. Zidane smiled, relieved. _He looks like a really tough guy--I wonder...why didn't those idiots run when he first appeared? They'll know better next time--they'll probably take one look at him and run if they're smart!_

Cloud edged around the trash bin and gestured to Zidane. He nodded and followed. As Cloud stepped further into the light, Zidane thought:_Cloud sure is wierd. First his hair sticks up like that and his eyes glow in the dark. They're the same color as mine though. I've never seen anything like that weird bangle on his wrist either. I wonder what those crystals on it are? Summoning...I've heard stories, but woah! I never knew anyone could! He made it look so easy too... He seems nice enough, though._

They both came out from behind the trash bin. There was that girl, cleaning off his dagger with a rag. "Ya wouldn't believe **where** I found it, spiky-hair..." 

Cloud shook his head. "I don't want to know..." The girl offered the dagger back to Zidane, hilt first. He absently took it and sheathed it, taking a better look at the girl. _Huh...I **know** I've seen her somewhere. But...where?_ She turned her head just a little, and then Zidane noticed a very ugly knife scar on her left cheek. _Wait-a-second...**that scar**! Could she be Alan? That guy that got in and snitched that treasure just a split second before me and my Tantalus brothers went in the window? I saw him jump over some junk and disappear...And then we had to chase him. Baku never did figure out how he got in without us noticing there was someone else...couldn't be! A girl isn't a guy...**wait**! I remember...it was about a year ago...I was working on a math lesson when he came in, asking for Blank. Just the usual...Baku somehow managed to make Alan mad by asking him to join us. There was an argument...and it got worse than usual..._

_Suddenly, there was a loud rip. I looked up at the noise. "Idiot! Ya made me tear my shirt!"_   
_"**You** caught it on a nail, lout! And **why** do you have your chest bandaged?" You could see it too; there was a bandage showing through the tear._   
_"I got **hurt**, **okay**?! Leave me be! I'm gone, ya idiot!_   
_He ran out in a huff, trying to hold the rip together or hide it...Blank was chuckling like mad and I couldn't get him to tell me what was so funny..._

  
_Looks like **that** was a lie! Fire-haired idiot!_ "Bandages..." Zidane muttered. "Alan bound her breasts flat with bandages...so we thought she was a guy...well--maybe Blank knew the truth..." Then more loudly, he added angrily, "**Alan**! You good-for-nothing...**scar-faced fire-haired liar**!" 

"Alan" jumped and looked Zidane straight in the eyes. Zidane felt a funny jolt in his middle when she did that; she did have pretty eyes. That didn't help him calm down, however. "What brought that on?", she said mildly. 

"You already know, scar-face! First you got that treasure right before me and Tantalus, then you fool everybody into thinking you're a guy when you're a gir-rrl!" 

"Alan" laughed. "What? Ya STILL upset 'bout that 'ol thing? Thought that was water under da bridge...Anyway, how could I ah known Tantalus was after that treasure? Thieves like us don't brag 'bout what we snitch until after it **is** snitched. Neither do we noise 'bout where we're gonna hit...I assume you know that talkin' 'bout where you're gonna steal somethin' in public means you're gonna get caught, right?" Zidane nodded. _What is she trying to say?_, he wondered. He was still a little mad. "Alan" chuckled again. "I don't think anyone knew 'bout that entrance from da tool shed...and I disguised myself like that since that guy who owned that house was a lech!" 

Zidane was shocked. "Wha? I knew that guy would whip you if he caught you breaking in, but uh..a lech? And what tool shed? There wasn't one..." 

"Alan" nodded. "Ya just proved what I always thought...no one 'cept me went pokin' aroun' in da back ah the basement. That guy was using a 'ol root cellar for a tool shed an' never did nail down da inside entrance ta it." She clicked her tongue a few times and shook her head, then continued, "As for 'im bein' a lecher: I'm not kiddin', he was. He'd jump on anythin' as long as it was a gal! I didn't wanna be worse than dead if I got caught. After that...well, Baku s'pected ta see "Alan" da guy when I came 'round, right? He sure didn't s'pect no gal with a scarred puss ta be nosin' aroun' da hideout!" 

Cloud saw Zidane bow his head quickly, slightly embarrassed. _Didn't expect this, did you?_ He found this kind of funny, but he controlled his expression firmly since he didn't want to make it worse by laughing at Zidane or letting him know that he found this funny. _Ha! It's obvious now...you and your friends got outdone by a girl! Hope you don't feel too bad about it, though. A girl can certainly do as good a job at almost anything as a guy can._Cloud took a better look at Zidane now that he was in the light. _He's a little taller than I expected, though...he comes up to a bit past the bottom of my chest. Well, guess it was just hard to tell exactly how tall he was by looking in Nora's pool..._ Just then, Cloud heard Zidane's stomach growl. Zidane quickly pressed one hand into his belly, looking even more embarrassed. _Oh? He's hungry? When I cast that Cure spell, I noticed his stomach was in a knot--thought that was just leftover nerves from the fight. Should've remembered that if the caster notices something like that while the spell's working, something's wrong with that person that the spell can't heal. Hunger's one of those things that a Cure spell can't do anythin' about. Only thing that'll fix that is somethin' to eat._

Cloud knew that he'd have to keep track of Zidane somehow if he wanted to make sure those bullies stayed well away from the boy. He'd wondered how he was going to do that. _Maybe the fact that he's hungry's a good excuse to invite him to where I'm staying. I **can** offer him some food and somewhere to sleep. I'd planned for 'tired' but...thank goodness I was planning on a sandwich for lunch. It's as easy to make two sandwiches as just one. Or I'll just let him make his own...just have to see what he wants to do._

While Cloud was thinking things over, Alanna smiled at Zidane. "Don't worry 'bout it. Anyway, my name ain't Alan...I just told you guys that when ya cornered me 'cause my real name is a dead giveaway--I REALLY didn't want ta leave that lech any hints if anyone overheard." 

Zidane looked up. "Then what is it, scar-face?" His stomach growled again; he pressed that hand into his belly again. 

Cloud shook himself out of his train of thought._I'd better get involved in case this gets any worse. I understand a little yelling...As she put it, 'luck' had a lot to do with that little theft, but I'd hoped it'd been mostly forgotten...I hope he'll let that go...Else it could get really messy._ "Let me answer that." Alanna nodded to Cloud. He went on, "She told me earlier how she'd run into Tantalus and you before, but she never did find out what your name was." He nodded to Zidane, then continued, "That means you never were introduced to each other for one reason or another--well, at least in your case, you only discovered what she was calling herself while she was disguised as a guy. Zidane, this is Alanna." He gestured toward Alanna. "Alanna, this is Zidane." He gestured toward Zidane. Alanna reached out her hand where Zidane could reach it; he thought a moment, then took it and they shook hands. Cloud could tell Zidane was a little suspicious of Alanna, which wasn't too surprising, considering. 

"How come you told him?" 

"Well...Cloud heard somethin' 'bout some people who really didn't like 'a boy with a monkey tail' aroun' here a bit ago. He also heard they were plannin' somethin' bad--which is why we set up a nasty surprise for 'em...eh there, Cloud?" 

_Think I know what Alanna's up to. She's trying to make sure that my butt's covered so Zidane won't ask awkward questions later that I might have to lie to answer...well...I'd better play along...I don't wanna have to break my promise not to say anything about Nora..._ "I know, Alanna. Didn't like what I'd heard, so when I ran into her, I asked if she'd seen someone like that..." 

Zidane chuckled. "Ohh..And that was me, of course..." His stomach growled yet again; again he pressed that hand into his belly. _Bet he wishes it'd shut up!_ Cloud thought. _He must be VERY hungry if his stomach's complaining this loudly. Well, just have to wait for the right moment to ask him if he'd mind comin' with me to my place for some lunch and somewhere to sleep._

Alanna grinned back. "Mmm-hmm. I knew ya were one ah Baku's boys, anyway." She tossed her head back. Zidane raised one eyebrow and shot her a slightly suspicious look. "Don't look at me like that. Just 'cause him an' me kinda agree ta disagree don't mean I don't respect 'im an' Tantalus! I just don't wanna join, that's all. Anyway, those nasty bullies are gone now...I would've found 'em while I was huntin' for your dagger if they wern't." 

Zidane cocked his head and seemed to be considering this for a moment; then he said, "Well..thanks." 

Cloud nodded. "You're welcome." _Least he seems to have bought it. But we'll see if he asks for more details later, when he isn't so tired._ Just then, they all heard a loud "kupo? Kupo!!" and then Mogrich flew down the alley. He landed by the group. 

"What was all that racket, kupo?" 

Alanna turned toward the Moogle. "Not much...this boy" she gestured toward Zidane, "was being picked on by some VERY mean bullies...Me 'n' Cloud chased 'em away." She shot him an innocent look. The moogle looked up and noticed something. He flew up to the roof for a moment. 

As he did so, Zidane's stomach growled again. He touched his head like a headache was coming on. _Uh oh! Seems like things are really bad...I know what that is. Means his blood sugar's way too low--the cure spell could've been partly to blame. He'd better get something in his stomach now or else...think I've just the thing..._

He took off his pack for a moment, reached into a pocket, and removed a piece of fruit. Alanna had called this particular type (which kind of looked like a good-sized red peach) a tamorand. They were hard to come by, though they were delicious. Cloud had managed to buy one for part of his supper tonight for a treat, since he had a job and would need to pack supper. _I'd really like this but...Zidane needs it. Hopefully it'll take the edge off his hunger--or at the very least, I know it's sweet enough to get rid of that headache, if I guessed right._ He quickly pressed it into Zidane's free hand, smiling at him. Zidane looked up at Cloud, surprised. He tried to give it back; Cloud shook his head, pressing the fruit back into Zidane's hand. Zidane looked into Cloud's eyes; he asked, "You mean it's really for me?". Cloud nodded. Zidane brought the fruit to his mouth and took a bite. His eyes widened with pleasure. 

Cloud thought, _There. That oughta help out a little...I know what Alanna said about tamorands: "Nobody in 'is right min' would throw away one once they taste it--they're just too good. That's why some thieves I know'll do anythin' ta steal one...tho I don't bother." When I asked her why, she said her old master had taught her not to "dirty yer own squat"--she said that meant she doesn't steal from shopkeepers she regularly buys things from. The way she explained that, shopkeepers are more likely to turn a thief in than a noble since nobles can usually lose a little gil or a gold chain or two or some treasure without getting upset, while a shopkeeper keeps track of everything._

Just then, Mogrich came down with the rope. "This yours, kupo?" 

Alanna answered, "Yep, that's mine. Thanks, Mogrich." 

Zidane looked up at Cloud, licking some tamorand juice off his lips. "So, that's how you did it!" 

"You mean, we got on the roof?", Cloud asked. Zidane nodded and absently took another bite of the fruit. Cloud continued, "Best way we could think of since neither of us knew if there was going to be crates in here to hide behind. You saw what we were trying to do, right?" 

Zidane swallowed fast and answered, "Yup, trying to scare them off. It didn't work that well..." 

Cloud smiled. "You're right. Thank goodness summoning Shiva worked." 

Zidane nodded. _Thank goodness Shiva didn't scare him that badly. That's the other reason I chose that materia...Shiva's less likely to scare a innocent bystander than Bahamut, since she looks fairly harmless...well...until she uses her attack--either a more powerful version of the Ice spell or Diamond Dust. Good thing she only startled him a little. Hope if I ever have to summon Bahamut Zidane can take it without running or something--Bahamut tends to be very frightening because of what he is. Not to mention, he tends to snarl when he first appears. Anyway, need to have a quick word with Mogrich before he flies away. Moogles sell blank books and paper...Alanna pointed that out, guess it's because they send letters a lot. The one I've been using for a journal that I brought from Vida is almost full._ Cloud nodded and turned to Mogrich for a moment. 

"Got any blank books?" Cloud asked. 

Mogrich nodded. "I'll sell you one for fifteen gil..." Cloud nodded and gave the Moogle the money and got the book. Then the Moogle flew away. 

Alanna absently took out the wallet she'd stolen from the noble who had kicked her, took out the gil and put it in her own wallet, and threw the empty wallet near the trash bin. Then she said, "Cloud, got some errands ta run. See ya later?"   
"See you around, Alanna..." Cloud answered. Then Alanna left. 

Just after she left, Cloud noticed Zidane swallowed fast out of the corner of one eye. He then asked, "Are you going to leave, too?" 

Cloud shook his head. "I promised I wouldn't let'em get you again while we were behind the trash, remember?" Zidane nodded back. Cloud continued, "I always keep my word." 

_Huh...this might be a good moment to ask..._ "Zidane? Would you like to come to my place for a while? I'll get you some lunch if you want..." He mentally crossed his fingers, not sure if Zidane would go for it. _He might be cautious since there could be kidnappers or child snatchers around...haven't heard of any, but...Noticed people tend to be pretty trusting around here...except when someone's an obvious thief..._

"How did you know I was hungry, spikier-hair?" 

Cloud clamped down on the desire to laugh; he didn't want to embarrass Zidane any more than he had to. "Heard your belly rumbling...it's okay!" he said as Zidane turned away, embarrassed. "It happens to everybody once in a while." 

Zidane nodded and turned away, munching on the tamorand and thinking. Cloud didn't bother him. _Oh, c'mon. Make up your mind, okay?_, he thought, mentally crossing his fingers. _I hope he'll go for it--it'll be a nightmare to keep an eye out for trouble coming his way if he doesn't._ Cloud kept his expression neutral, however. He was extremely nervous, but Cloud felt if Zidane knew, it might either influence his decision or he'd ask Cloud why he was nervous. _If that happened, either the secret'll be out or I'll have to lie. Neither would be a good idea in the long run._

Just then, Zidane turned toward Cloud. "Okay, I'll follow you to your place."   
Cloud was relieved; he smiled, but he controlled himself so Zidane didn't know._All right! I just hope he'll stick around for a while. Nora said he needed a friend to help deal with more than those bullies. Wonder why she thought I'd do?_ Aloud he said, "Let's go. Stay too long, and they might come looking for you..." Zidane nodded and shuddered. They both went down the alley, turned the opposite way from the shop, and went down the walkway. Just as they started down the stairs by the inn, Zidane threw the tamorand pit away--it was strangely the size of a plum's, which Cloud found amusing. Watching Zidane, he thought, _Even though it seems he's fooling himself, I can tell he's tired. You'd have to have sharp eyes, but his feet are dragging just a little...and if I'm not mistaken, he's not holding his tail that high, it's almost dragging. He's not Red XIII, but it stands to reason that since Red did that when he was exhausted, that it's the same for Zidane. Well, we'll see after he gets something to eat...a full belly can sometimes make you really feel it if you're tired._

Cloud led Zidane around the corner and past the inn. They then turned the corner and went past a stand that sold medicines. It didn't take them long after that to get to the house Cloud was staying in. Cloud unlocked the door, smiling. _We'd call this a condo apartment back home._, he thought. _It's pretty small, really. No upstairs, only two bedrooms, the living room--if you could call it that--is dinky, and it doesn't have a bathtub...I had to buy a washtub to use as a bathtub since there's no running water--dunno if they've invented that yet on this world. But at least I know what to do. Had some experience with this kinda thing on Ramza's world._ He reached in and absently felt for a (nonexistent) light switch. He frowned, slightly annoyed at himself since this was the fifth or sixth time he'd been thinking about something else and had fallen on that old habit. _Oops...did it again. Need to remember NOT to do that...they don't have electric lights around here._ He picked up a candle he always left on a small table. He lit it and they went inside. 

They walked in and into the kitchen, which was a little bigger than an apartment's, but then there was that wood stove in the corner. _When it works, it gives 'slaving over a hot stove' a whole new meaning. That thing's balkier than Boko, that gold chocobo that I got from that guy in Kalm...and that's saying a lot. Least I don't have to use it right away. May have to a bit later...you never know._ First, Cloud reached up and lit a lamp that was just above his head, blowing out the candle he was holding afterward. He got into the breadbox for some rolls he'd put there earlier. Then he reached in a drawer for a knife, went over to the icebox (It wasn't anything like it would be at home--it was a chest that used real ice to keep the food cold-he had to watch that or it would make a horrible mess when the ice started melting) and got some cooked meat and some cheese out. He cut open a bun and started cutting some cheese. A quick hand snatched a piece--it was Zidane, who started munching on his prize. _Heh,_ Cloud thought. _Very funny. But I understand-who hasn't done that once in a while when they feel like they're starving? Probably that just tempted him a bit too much...Besides, I'm not surprised he succeeded-after all he is a thief. But...I'd better let him know what's going on..._ "Snatching cheese, eh? You that hungry?" Zidane nodded; he didn't say anything because his mouth was full. "I gotcha. I was making sandwiches though." 

Zidane swallowed fast and said, "Guessed that. May I make my own?" Cloud nodded, then handed the knife to Zidane, handle first. _I can wait a second. It's not going to kill me, but I still remember what it's like to be young...and growing, though I don't know if it's that. Could be he just has had to eat travel rations for a while...and from what Alanna told me, at best, they're only okay. The worst kind of 'em though's nasty and it's the kind of thing you only eat if you're half starved. And I know already...you get tired of any kind of travel rations very fast, even if they taste good._

Cloud waited patiently while Zidane sliced meat and cheese and made himself a sandwich. After Zidane finished, he started making his own. He left Zidane alone...and didn't try to talk to him while he was eating. Cloud felt that it wasn't a good moment to try. 

_Maybe another day._, he thought as he finished making the sandwich and started eating his lunch. As usual around here, the bread was whole-grain sourdough. Cloud didn't mind that much--though at home, he usually didn't go for sourdough bread much. While he was eating, he thought: _I know, no use complaining about the bread. Not my favorite, I'll live--they probably don't know how to do it any other way here. Anyway, I can tell, he's worn out, even if he's a bit too stubborn to admit it. I'd rather start a conversation with him when he's not so tired. People who are tired sometimes do things they'll regret later. I hope he doesn't regret following me in the morning, but I'm going to try not to make it any worse. Perhaps then he'll stick around. Hope so. Going to be hell to keep up with him if he decides to scat._ Just as he finished, Cloud felt Zidane's eyes on him. He looked over at Zidane and asked, "What's wrong?" Zidane answered, "Is there any more rolls? I'd like another one, please..." Cloud nodded and got another roll out of the breadbox, making sure Zidane knew where it was. _I'll have to get some more bread soon-I'll wait until he's asleep. He'll be fine if I lock the door. Alanna checked for me with a thief's eye and told me that well--that it's nearly impossible for someone to break in here. Good thing too. Less likely to have trouble in here._ He just sat there politely, while Zidane made another sandwich and ate it. Cloud noticed Zidane slowed down quite a bit near the end and guessed he was getting full. Then Cloud noticed Zidane yawned. 

"You okay?" Cloud asked, though he could guess what the trouble was. 

"Yeah. I'm just...suddenly very tired."

Cloud nodded. _Guessed that would happen. If you're running on nerve and adrenalin and very little sleep, once you're safe and your belly's full, you feel really tired. That's especially true if someone used Cure on you...and it's worse if it was used multiple times on you. Oh! Just occurred to me...Bet he'd like a bath. He's been on the road goodness knows how long...and I know that Alanna hates bein' dirty for some reason. Think I'll ask...but better go carefully here. Don't want him to think I'm a pervert._ "Erm...Zidane? Would you like me to get enough water from the pump so you can take a bath in here?" 

Zidane looked up. "Sure! Thanks!" 

"I'll drag the tub outta the closet and get the water. Hold on a second, though..." Cloud ran into the other room and grabbed an old pair of pants and a shirt that he'd been sleeping in, as well as some towels, a washcloth, some soap, and a soft cord for a belt. Since he had a spare now that he was staying in a town, it wouldn't matter if he sacrificed this. He ripped off the ends of the pant legs so they would be Zidane's height. As he came in, he eyed exactly where that tail was and ripped a small slit in the seat of the pants so Zidane would have a place to stick it that wouldn't be uncomfortable. Zidane looked up and asked, "What did you do that for?" Cloud answered, "Thought you might need something to change into afterward, okay? Don't worry, I don't care about that outfit." Zidane met Cloud's gaze for a second. _Well, must have quite a bit of spunk._ Cloud thought absently. Few people around here looked him straight in the eyes, though they looked him in the face. Cloud had thought that was due to the Mako eyes...after all, to someone that didn't know what it was due to, that odd glow in his eyes looked "spooky" and tended to bother people. He'd noticed that people tended to avoid looking him in the eye much on Ramza's world, and it was the same here. Then Zidane looked away from Cloud's eyes. "Gotcha. Thanks." It took a while to haul enough water for the tub, start a fire in that balky stove (It took Cloud a while-and a bit of muttered cussing...to get it to light.), and get the water on to heat. Then Cloud nodded, said, "Okay. Go right ahead when it's hot enough. I'm gonna go set you up a place to sleep. Oh, and don't you dare fall asleep in the tub! I don't want to have to come yank you out!" Cloud thought it best to make sure Zidane knew he respected his privacy. _If he's mad at me in the morning, at least he can say I'm not a pervert._

Zidane nodded, yawned again, and then laughed. "Don't worry, I won't." 

Cloud nodded back, and then he left the kitchen with a lit candle and shut the door. Then he went down to the tiny spare room. He first put the candle on a windowsill where it wouldn't get in his way. Then, he yanked a mat and some cushions out of a closet. _I remember when I got these. Alanna was around and she thought it was funny, but I told her later that I guessed Ka...Zidane'd been sleeping on the ground. I'd rather make sure, since I know he's going to have to sleep on the floor if I don't want him to get suspicious, that I want to make sure he's got the most comfortable place to sleep he's had in a while, barring the occasional inn. She liked that idea._ He also got some sheets out as well. Laying the mat on the floor, he put the cushions in a row over it, and then he basically made a bed on the floor with the sheets. He took his time and leaned out a couple of times to make sure Zidane had kept his word...and he could still hear splashing, so he knew everything was okay. He also grabbed a pillow and a blanket on those trips and finished making the "bed". 

After he got done, Zidane still hadn't come out (but Zidane was still splashing a bit, so Cloud guessed Zidane was taking his time.) Cloud just leaned against the wall and thought a bit. So far, everything was going just fine. But that was only for now. Had those bullies decided to leave Zidane alone for good? It occurred to him that he could ask Nora, but he also realized now was not the time. It was too much of a risk for him to try since he could very well get caught, which was something he didn't want to happen. 

He did miss home...New Midgar...Tifa...old Reeve happening by to say hi, and even Vincent dropping by once in a while, though Cloud didn't like it when Vincent came up from behind him after it got dark. (Vincent knew that and tried to make enough noise to let Cloud know that he was coming if it was getting dark or was dark.) 

_Ach, can't let myself get too homesick._, Cloud thought. _Though I still wonder why Nora thought it was necessary to get Zidane a friend and protector. I've that promise to keep, though. Besides, he'd be dead now if I hadn't known and hadn't been there, pretty obviously. Once that arm got broken, it would have been all over pretty soon. Can't fight very well with a broken arm._ He finally heard one good splash, and about five minutes later, he saw Zidane coming, in the clothes he'd slipped him and with his hair wet. _Good, that works. I think he'll also realize later I wasn't--and am not--interested in seeing him having to erm...run around with no clothes on._ Cloud showed Zidane where he'd set up that temporary bed. Zidane sat down, sighed, grabbed the blanket and settled in. Cloud nodded and left with the candle. He went into the kitchen and scooped up those dirty clothes, and put them in a basket he used for dirty laundry. _I'll wash these...boy did Alanna tease me about not knowin' how to use a washboard! Well, duh. Didn't even see one on Ramza's world...and someone else did the laundry, not me._

He went into the tiny sitting room (Cloud guessed it was the living room really, but he didn't want to call it that because it was so small) and put the candle on a small table. He thought about what had just happened. Zidane was safe here for now, he knew. _But what about tomorrow?_ The idea of asking Nora seemed very appealing, but he decided to wait a little while until he was sure Zidane was deep in dreamland. He dragged his old journal out for a while...it did only have three or four pages left. Grabbing a pen, he wrote down what had just happened. Near the end of the entry, he wrote: 

I don't know what's next. It bothers me somewhat...that I don't know how Zidane got those kids so mad at him or if he even knows. Didn't ask 'cause he's reeling from fatigue. Maybe Nora knows if we scared them off permanently or at least can tell me if those idiots are going to try again soon. Forewarned is truly forearmed. I think I'll ask Nora in a bit about it...Dunno if she'll tell me much, but it's worth a try. 

After that, he shut it. He thought: _Oops. Forgot that I'd better keep this where Zidane won't see it. I've been writing in this thing more than I usually do, simply because I don't have much else to do besides chores when I'm alone. The nobles have got most of the books, so I can't get one to read right now. And if he does find my journal, he'll know about Nora right away if he decides to snoop. Shouldn't be hard to make sure he doesn't see it though._

He walked over and poked his head in Zidane's room. Zidane had rolled over on his side and had one arm over his head. He was obviously asleep now. Cloud nodded and left the room. He went back into the sitting room and sat back down. Then he took the orange materia out of his pocket and used it to call Nora so maybe he could find out if they'd truly chased off those bullies for good. _:Just a second, okay?:_ he heard her say. A few seconds later, she appeared as a ghostly form in front of him. _:You got him here and safe I see.:_ she said. 

_:Don't worry, Zidane's asleep or I wouldn't of called you. Otherwise, it'd be too risky.:_

Nora nodded. _:Okay, you had something you wanted to ask me?:_

_:Did we chase off those bullies for good? Hope so...:_

Nora shook her head. _:I'm afraid not. And yes I did see what happened; I was cheering you on. One of them was following you at a distance, so they know where he is. They're going to try again tomorrow...but it's hard to see much into the future past that right now.:_

_:How come?:_ It seemed odd to Cloud, for she had been able to see this two weeks ago and had been right. 

Nora sighed. _:Let me explain this with an analogy. You've been near quiet ponds you can see your reflection in, right?:_ Cloud nodded. Nora continued. _:If a big turtle crawls on the bottom, that turtle can stir up a lot of muck and cloud the water until you can't see your reflection any more. Sometimes looking into the future is like that. However, when I start having trouble is when there's many possible futures...it's like looking into a prism really. When that happens, it's impossible for me to tell which one is the right one. Like that muck in the pond though, it will eventually settle...it just takes some time for that to happen.:_

Cloud nodded. Nora went on, _:I forgot to tell you. You remember how you left Ramza's world, right?:_

_:Yeah. You aren't going to do it that way, are you? I didn't like waking up that way...in the snow, in the Northern Crater...:_

Nora shook her head. _:I wouldn't do that. But what I mean is you never got a chance to say goodbye to your new friends, I found out. You were sent home in the middle of the night. I don't consider that very fair or even right. Believe me, I chewed Varia out for that after I did find out!: _She then said some word that Cloud thought must be some kind of cussword; it sounded like karrav or something like that. He didn't get the meaning, which was probably a mercy. She then sighed._ :I don't think she took me seriously though. Few people from my race do. Being a Guardian can be very lonely, even if you do go and make friends with other people.:_

_:Why's that?:_ Cloud was just curious. 

_:Because once one of my people takes the Guardian's oath, that person is effectively joined with the planet that chooses him or her. You share the planet's pain...and its life. You live as long as it does--which effectively gives you almost an everlasting life, since planets live for many millennia, though it doesn't make you completely immortal. But also: Many a time have I not been able to say goodbye to a friend I made while I was roaming the surface of Gaia. I think if there is a choice, and if you must leave someone behind like that, at least you should be able to wish him or her goodbye.:_

_:What are you getting at? Get to the point!:_

Nora nodded. _:I understand. Cloud, I think it will be very obvious when this is over and Zidane will be okay from then on. So, I give the decision on when to leave into your hands. Just tell me when, and I'll send you home.:_

_:Oh, now I see. That way, I can say bye first and then leave, right?:_

Nora nodded again. _:You got it. By the way, I promise that if something is going to go horribly wrong, I'll try to warn you in a dream, since I don't dare leave any physical evidence around for someone else to find. If I left you a note or something, I would get in big trouble with the Council of Twelve.:_ Cloud guessed she meant the authorities. She continued, _:And no, I am not looking at your future. I can't, but I can look at the futures of the people you associate with. I can probably figure out if something will go badly wrong from that alone, though it isn't perfect. And...I'd better go.:_

Cloud nodded. _:See you later, okay?:_

_:Okay.:_

Then Nora completely disappeared. Cloud nodded and put the orange materia away. _I'd better do that laundry and get it over with._, Cloud thought. So he got a smaller washtub and the washboard out of a closet. The fire in the stove was still lit, thank goodness, though it was coals now. It didn't take much to build it up a little and heat some water to wash clothes with. Then, after he dumped the water into the washtub, he dragged it out the back door. He went back in to get the soap, the washboard, and the laundry basket (as well as a basket which had a bunch of holes in it that he used to rinse clothes in), which he'd left by the door. He wet the clothes, got some soap on them, and started scrubbing them. They were really dirty. Just as he'd gotten to scrubbing things good and hard, he heard footsteps and he looked up. It was Alanna. 

"Hey, Alanna." 

"Hey. Everythin' all right?" Alanna walked up by Cloud and the washtub. 

"Yeah. Zidane's asleep right now. Thought he might want clean clothes when he wakes up, though." 

Alanna nodded. "Yeah, yer probably right, Cloud. Traveling is hard on ya an' ya end up stinkin'...that is, if ya don't have an airship." She wrinkled her nose. 

"Don't like being really dirty do you?" _Neither do I._, Cloud thought. _Sometimes you can't avoid being dirty when you're traveling. No way to take a bath until you get to an inn, even if you get in a nasty fight._

Alanna shook her head. "Yer right, I don't. Anyway, he's snug in bed now, an' do ya think everythin's gonna be okay?" 

Cloud nodded as he scrubbed the clothes. "You told me this house was just about impossible to get into once it's locked without making a lot of noise, right?" 

Alanna nodded. "Yup. You'd need an axe or a hammer. Auger might help, but ya still gotta get in there with a crowbar...that's not only sloppy, it's noisy. That's also the mark ah an amateur at the game. Anyways, think yer gonna need someone ta watch da house tonight? I'll do it..an' check on 'im later. He ain't human, no tellin' what he'll do. He might wake up, ya know." 

"True." Cloud said pensively. "I'll give you the keys before I leave, okay?" He checked the clothes he was washing; he'd almost got them clean. Alanna answered, "Thanks. I'll help ya iron that shirt when it's dry; I know ya ruined one shirt playin' with that iron!" 

Cloud laughed. "Give me an iron from home and I'm fine. But that thing you call an iron...forget it!" 

Alanna grinned back. "Well, we'll see how it goes, hey? Did ya ask You-Know-Who 'bout anything?" Cloud knew who she meant by "You-Know-Who": she meant Nora. Alanna only called Nora that when she was sure they would be overheard. He answered, "Yeah, there might be trouble tomorrow. I'll keep my eyes open." He checked again; the shirt he was scrubbing was finally clean. He took it and put it in the other basket...the one that had holes in it (he'd rinse them all under the pump when he got done) and started on another piece. 

* * *

Late that day, after Cloud had left for work, Zidane slowly woke up and yawned. _Goodness,_ he thought. _How long's it been?_ He headed for the bathroom first (he had to go) then stretched a bit. He also noticed that he was starting to get hunger pangs...and they were growing worse, like a living thing. _Been sleeping quite a while I guess, because I'm hungry **again**. Why's it so bad now?_ That was a old, tired thought-his appetite had grown by leaps and bounds soon after he'd left Lindbulm. _I don't know why I'm suddenly getting so hungry. Is something wrong with me? I feel okay, though, so I don't think I'm sick..._It worried him a bit...but then it occurred to him. _I really don't have to worry much about it now! Cloud was nice and shared what he had...I don't think he'd mind if I got a snack out of the icebox! Wish I knew him better though...he seems okay...wonder where he came from, though. Haven't ever seen him before..._ He worried over that a bit as he headed back to the kitchen, holding a lit candle. He'd just put the candle down and was about to open the icebox when he heard...a key...turning in the lock of the door. He jumped and turned that way. It was Alanna, carrying a tin lantern in one hand and a pail full of ice and a covered basket in the other. _Brother, **her** again!?_ "You scarface, what are you doing here?"

Alanna didn't even blink. "Promised Cloud that I'd check on ya. And yer not gettin' nowhere with callin' me that. I've been called every name in da book, prolly 'cause I'm a girl and a thief." 

_Oh?_ That surprised Zidane a bit. _Better give that up then, though...still don't know if I can completely trust this...person..._"Erm...Alanna...why did you go after that treasure in the first place?" 

That got her attention. "Well...that guy had a couple of Moon Daggers in his basement--they were in that treasure. Ya know how hard it is ta find those? Sheesh...I needed 'em ta get my Moon Shard forged. At that, when I finally found da Moonstones I needed later on...I had ta really bribe that blacksmith ta do it." 

_Oh! That makes sense. Getting a new weapon made can be a tricky business._ Zidane thought a minute...he'd heard that weapon mentioned somewhere...then he remembered what that was and what he'd seen her using earlier, during the fight...and put the two together. "What? You use a swordstaff?! I've heard of them, but never heard of someone who could use one!" 

Alanna chuckled. "Not many can. It's not exactly da most common weapon ya see. Especially the girls' versions. Swordstaves for guys are easier ta come by, I've noticed." Zidane's stomach betrayed him then, growling rather loudly. He blushed. "Oops...thought ya might wake up hungry." Alanna said and smiled. She put the bucket and the basket on the table. The bucket not only had ice in it, it had a small bottle in there...with something in it. The towel flipped up a bit, and a tantalizing smell wafted up...which really woke the hunger-beast inside him. He stopped himself just in time. _Yeesh...I'm sickening. She might have done something to that..._

Alanna must have seen the look on his face, for she said, "You think I'd poison ya?" Zidane nodded, cautiously. "No, I wouldn't. Cloud'd kill me when he got home if I did...I don't wanna be on da wrong end ah **that blade**.** Ever**. Besides, ya seem like a nice guy. I don't like Baku all that good, but I respect 'im and 'is people...I was tellin' da truth earlier when I said that. And if Cloud didn't kill me, Baku would anyway when he found out." She shrugged. Whatever that was in the basket seemed to be calling his name...almost screaming it, as a matter of fact. Before he could stop himself again, he'd reached into the basket and his hand had closed around something. And he...couldn't...get himself to drop it, so he brought it out. It was some kind of dough pillow. He sniffed at it. 

Alanna whispered, "Oh, c'mon! I meant what I said an' I said what I meant-I wouldn't dare hurt 'cha, k? Cloud's one guy ya don't argue with. **Ever**." She looked him straight in the eyes again when she said "**Ever**." _I think she means it. It's the look in those eyes...boyy...she'd sure be pretty if...oh stop it! I don't know why I've been noticing girls lately either._ That was another thing he'd noticed lately...he'd been noticing girls...and it was pleasant to watch a pretty one, though he'd gotten tongue-tied a few times when he'd tried to talk to a really pretty one. While he was worrying over that, that hand with that dough pillow found its way to his mouth...and oh! It was stuffed with cheese and vegetables and was really good. _Mmm! Well, I guess I'm stuck for it now..._

His mouth watered when he thought about what might be in there. _Won't hurt to look._ He eased off the towel a bit. There was a few more of those dough pillows and a biiig wedge of a meat pie in the basket, on a couple of earthenware plates. All of it looked delicious. Before he realized what he was doing, he found himself munching on those dough pillows. _Maaan, I'm just disgusting._ There weren't that many of them, and they disappeared almost like magic. He brought that pie out of the basket and looked at it...boy it looked good! His appetite warred with caution for a second, but he finally gave in and looked for a fork. It turned out that that bottle in the bucket was some apple cider as well. This time though, he controlled himself firmly. As much as he wanted to gobble it down, he not only didn't want to be that rude, he wanted a chance to think a bit. 

Alanna was sitting there, leaning back in the chair at a very dangerous angle. She wasn't really watching him; she was making a leather lanyard. He watched her a bit out of one corner of an eye. _She seems harmless enough. If she's telling the truth, it was just one of those 'wrong place, wrong time' things, and her story seems very likely. Happens sometimes._ He realized that he was starting to let go of the mistrust he had of 'Alan' and really looking at her for once. _After all, Alanna is 'Alan' with the truth revealed. Hmmm though...does Blank know all this? I think he does...maybe I could ask?_ He got up his courage, swallowed what he was eating, and asked, "Hey, does Blank know the truth about you?" 

Alanna looked up, got the chair on all four legs again, and said, "Yep, he does." 

"How'd he find out, anyway?" 

Alanna chuckled. "Was kinda a accident. It was a week after that bit with the treasure, ya know. See, I just wanted a root beer, so I went down ta da café. I wasn't plannin' on goin' ta da hideout or anywhere near Tantalus, so I looked like a girl that day. And two guesses who was at da bar?" 

Zidane grinned. "Blank, right?" 

"Dead on! Well, it took 'im a good minute ta recognize me, but when he did...well, he hollered, "You idiot! Pulling one over on Baku like that!" and kinda made me spit out my drink on someone else. Ta make a long story short, we got inta an argument...and decided ta settle it with da blade. Da owner yelled at us ta take it outside, which we did." 

Zidane knew exactly what she meant. _Yep, he decided to challenge her, eh? I remember...a week after 'Alan' got that treasure ahead of us, Blank came home...beat up. He said when Baku asked who did it, he said "don't ask, I don't want to talk about it" and Baku let it drop. I can guess now..._ "You clobbered him, didn't you?" He chuckled. 

Alanna grinned and nodded. "Heh, yeah, I did. He shouldn't ah thought I was a weaklin' since I'm a girl. His big mistake, that was. Tho I did gain 'is respect after that whompin'...took 'im a while ta forgive me for that, but we're friends now...and we play Tetra Master a lot." 

Zidane smiled and took a couple more bites, then asked, "Hmm? Do a lot of people underestimate you like that?" 

"Yeah, all da time. See, most people think that a gal's weak, an' don't give a gal no respect. Girl has ta be just as good as a guy or better 'fore she'll get any respect. So I have ta train harder than you do, I warrant." 

_Never thought of it that way...I'll still help her out if she needs it, though. Protect her if I can...but if she can take care of herself, I won't need to._ He was a bit surprised at himself. Oh, he'd protected girls before. But it was...he was actually beginning to think of her more as a person now...and not "that idiot who got that treasure before we did", as well as someone who might need help...though he doubted he would be able to do much. After all, she'd clobbered Blank. (and since he'd seen Blank come home like that, it was very likely true) He didn't know what to say...or think about this at the moment. Alanna leaned back in the chair again, working on the lanyard. Zidane went back to eating, thinking about what had happened. It only seemed like a few minutes before that pie was gone...and ohh, he was stuffed. _Boy...did it again...I'm just gross..._ he thought. He yawned. 

Alanna looked up. "Still tired?" 

"Yeah." Before he realized what he was doing, he blurted out, "Can't figure out why though." 

"Mmm...when did ya get a good night's sleep 'fore this?" 

"Erm...wasn't for about a couple of weeks or so..." 

"Then that's why. Ya been pushin' yerself too hard. So now yer payin' for it. Don't worry 'bout it, s'long as ya take it easy for a day or two, ya should be fine. Happened ta me once or twice, so I know how it goes." 

"Well, I don't want to go back to bed, yet. Anyway, what is it with you and Cloud anyway? Is he your...boyfriend or something?" Zidane was just curious...it just seemed a bit odd for a girl and a guy to be hanging around together if they weren't. 

Alanna shook her head. "Pishhhaw. He's only my swordbrother, that's all. He's already got a girlfriend, so I ain't interested in 'im that way. Bein' swordsibs is good enough for me." 

_Ohh. I know what that means...they're just friends and they'll guard each other's back if they get in a fight. If they **were** dating she'd say "he's my swordmate"_ Zidane didn't know where those terms came from, (probably from knights) but it didn't matter. He asked, "Where did he come from, anyway? I haven't seen him before..." 

Alanna smiled. "He's not from around here, ya know. He's from a different world. How he got here is a bit ov a tale. I think ya ought ta get that tale from the chocobo's beak, tho. Secondhand ain't always da best, ya know, and I'd rather ya got it from 'im instead ah me." 

Zidane nodded. _Wow. Wonder how that happened? But she's right, I'll ask Cloud later. If she doesn't want to talk about it, I won't push it._ "How did you find him, anyway?" 

Alanna nodded, and launched into a tale of one day at the bar...she'd gone in there to meet a friend, and then there was a bar fight...and when she'd tried to stop it, this spikey-haired spook-eyed guy had walked up, telling her to 'put that blade away' When she hadn't, he'd stopped the fight...with a **sleep spell**?! Zidane interrupted then and said, "Hey, that's impossible!" She answered, "Well, with him it ain't. I gather magic works differently on 'is world, and he's still usin' 'is way ah doin' it. See, he can use both black an' white magic, but I understand he's limited ta all the spells that were on 'is world tho. He can't cast da legendary spell Flare, for instance." Zidane nodded, getting even more curious. He didn't completely trust Alanna, but this story sounded too incredible not to have some truth to it. Not only that, since he had seen Blank coming home beat up back then, he guessed she hadn't lied about that either. Blank's bruises and cuts didn't lie--they had been there, about the time that she said she'd 'whupped' Blank. 

Zidane wasn't resentful about that, though, even though Blank was a friend. In this case, it had seemed to be more of Blank's fault...he hadn't needed to let the argument go so far as to have to "settle it with the blade"; in other words, it had turned into a fight. _There are times when that happens,_Zidane thought. _Sometimes there's no way to settle something except with the blade. I guess I kind of understand why Blank didn't back down...back then, I probably would of done the same and gotten creamed myself._ He yawned again. Alanna said, "Whoo. You'd better hit da hay. A hint tho: take it easy if ya can tomorra', k? Ya prolly just pushed yerself way too hard gettin' here. Also, be careful, k? Don't worry 'bout trouble in here, it's hard ta break in here. But if ya do have a chance ta get out, ya don't know what might happen, this is kinda a rough neighborhood." With that cryptic advice, she left and shut the door. Zidane heard a key in the lock. _She's locking it, I'm sure. Oh well._

He yawned again and went back into the room, lying on the "bed" on the floor. Even though he was tired, for a while sleep just refused to come. He had a lot on his mind. _Man, what have I gotten myself into anyway? A guy who not only can use summon magic, but can use black and white magic as well?! That's Cloud for you. He's really weird. He seems human, but...and Alanna! I thought 'Alan' was a bad person, sneaking in right before us and getting our treasure before we got there. But it turns out...'Alan' is really 'Alanna' the girl and Alanna isn't a nasty or mean person at all. She's actually rather nice. And what she said earlier about not knowing what we were planning sounds like it could be true. I just don't know what to think._ He yawned again. _I'll make sure to ask Cloud about stuff in the morning..._ His eyelids were getting way too heavy, so he let sleep just pounce on him and carry him away. 

* * *

Cloud came back late that night. He'd gotten a basket of fruit along the way home from a merchant. Alanna was waiting for him. 

"How'd it go?" he asked. 

Alanna gave him back his keys and said, "Pretty well I think. We talked, he asked some questions 'bout what was goin' on and stuff. At least he didn't kill me, that's progress. He's sleepin' now, I checked. Oh, and ya might wanna be aware: I think he's interested in girls. I noticed da way he looked at me after he calmed down a bit." 

Cloud nodded, said "Thanks, and I'll keep that in mind.", and went into the house for the night. After a second, Alanna went the other way. 

* * *

Morning came all too soon. Zidane stirred, woke up, and yawned twice. He got up, headed for the bathroom, and got dressed (someone had cleaned and mended his clothes, he was grateful). As he combed his hair, he thought, _Well, seems like a nice day._ He took a deep breath. _I feel better today, though..._ It was true too. He felt alive and alert this morning. His belly was complaining bitterly as usual, but otherwise he felt just fine. _Hmm,_ he thought as he wet a leather cord in a bowl of water and pulled the longer part of his hair back. _I think I'll have a look around. At least it won't hurt and I might be able to get something to eat._ He was curious about this place a bit...he thought he might be able to find something out about Cloud, because he knew that sometimes what was in a person's home could tell a lot about that person. His curiosity was greater than his hunger at the moment. He picked up the candle and went into the next room. He wandered around the house, looking around. The furniture was fairly plain, strangely enough. He poked his head into what turned out to be Cloud's bedroom; he saw that Cloud was still asleep. Zidane smiled and turned away; he didn't notice that one of Cloud's eyes opened as Zidane turned away.

Walking into the kitchen, he noticed a basket of fruit. Before he could stop himself, he'd grabbed a nice big apple out of it and had taken a bite of it (it was good), but he thought a bit. It seemed that Cloud was more of a traveler, for there wasn't much personal stuff around. Chomping on the fruit, Zidane walked into the tiny living room. There was a wooden bench and a small table at one end...with something in a frame and Cloud's pack leaning up against it? There was a chair over by there. The frame on the table drew Zidane's attention. He forgot about the apple for a second and went to see what it was. 

He picked it up and turned it over. It turned out to be a black-and-white picture of a girl. Her long hair was a mess, she was laying on her front in some short grass, and she had definitely been laughing. Her hair (when it wasn't messed up) obviously went to her behind. She was, considering this was a black-and-white picture, was rather beautiful. _Hmm,_ Zidane thought. _Who's this? She sure is pretty...Maybe this is the girlfriend that Alanna mentioned that Cloud had? Seems likely to me..._

Zidane put the picture back. _Why did he leave there, anyway? His girl is probably worried sick. I wonder...that'll have to wait though. I'll ask him._ He put down the picture and then remembered about the apple in his other hand. He munched on it for a bit. _Think I'll go outside for a bit. Better make sure I **can** get away if I have to._ He checked the door handle. It was unlocked. Blowing out the candle, he opened the door and went outside. He looked around. It seemed rather simple to get away, but Zidane saw no reason to run. _He treated me pretty decently last night. Not a lot of people would of left someone alone like that...that is, most people who would invite someone like me into their home are perverts. He's not or he would of looked in on me in the bath._ He decided to go around to the back yard. It looked like someone had been training there. There were a couple of pells...one of them had some deep gashes in it..._Whoo, who did **that**?! I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of **that**_ weapon... He finished the apple and threw away the core. 

Just then, Zidane heard a familiar voice yell, "You stupid monkey-boy! Gotcha!" He turned around quickly. It was the kids from the other day...Zidane could feel his heart beginning to pound, but he answered, "Huh? Go away and leave me alone! What did I do to you guys?" 

As yesterday, they didn't leave him alone...and they didn't answer either.. It came to weapons **again**. But this time, Zidane found he was having a bit better luck than yesterday. A good bit of sleep and a couple of solid meals under his belt seemed to have helped a lot--he was holding his own, but it seemed it wouldn't be long before he got overwhelmed again. Just as Zidane thought he should run (but couldn't) he heard a window open, and someone holler, "**Get away from that boy!**" It was Cloud, and he was in quite a state. Half his hair was sticking up like a bird's wing, and the rest was sticking out in a most...peculiar fashion. He also needed a shave. Cloud quickly jumped out of the window. He landed on his feet and put his hand on his blade's hilt warningly. Zidane's tormentors snarled. The biggest kid, whom Zidane had guessed was the leader, yelled, "Get out of here, you spikey-head! Who made you boss?! Get him guys!" 

Cloud frowned. "Don't have time for you guys. Didn't listen to a warning, you asked for it..." He brought his hands together and closed his eyes for a second. Zidane noticed one of the **red** crystals on Cloud's bangle flared to life. Nothing seemed to happen for a heartbeat; but then...   
...Out of the sky with a snarl...   
...swooped...   
...**A big, black dragon!** Zidane froze, scared half to death. The dragon swooped down, growling. The other kids all screamed. The dragon turned around and swooped again. The kids all ran. The dragon went over and hovered near Cloud's head, but Zidane was so scared, he didn't do anything except tremble. _Wwwwhat is goin' on?, _he thought. _That d dddragon is gonna kill him..._

Cloud smiled at Bahamut (which was what Zidane had identified as a dragon). _:Okay, that takes care of...whoops!:_

_:Pardon?:_ Bahamut asked Cloud. 

_:Forgot. Didn't warn Zidane and it looks like he's scared half to death.:_ Cloud mentally kicked himself for forgetting. 

_:You might still be able to salvage the situation if you try.:_

Cloud considered that for a second. _:Yeah, you're right. He doesn't need to be afraid of Eidolons!:_

_:Why? He can't summon, and never will be able to...I can sense that from here.:_

_:Well...Do you know Nora?:_

_:Yes I do. Why do you ask?:_

_:Nora told me that he's one of the ones destined to save the world. I've a theory...:_ He showed Bahamut some of his memories of the tough fights he'd been in where he or one of his friends had had to use summon magic to stay alive. _:I think that your mistress might be one of those people as well...sometimes one has to summon in a fight, or you and your friends are very dead. Could be wrong about your mistress though.:_

_:Then again, you may be right, Cloud. I'm sorry I can't touch his mind and just get this over with, though. He doesn't have the right talents. One has to at least have some mage-talent before I can touch their mind...he has some kind of power, but it's tightly locked up inside him. My guess is that he doesn't know that he has it.:_ At that, Bahamut's voice sounded fairly wise at this point...yes, he was old and it showed. But it wasn't the kind of "old" that was weak. No, this was the kind of old that showed a lot of power and a lot of wisdom. Cloud was grateful for that right now. Bahamut was said to be the oldest summoned creature of them all, and anyone that had summoned Bahamut knew that to be true. The revelation that "Zidane has some kind of power, but it's tightly locked up inside him" was news to Cloud, though. The way it looked though, it seemed Bahamut was very right. _Wonder what that power is, though? If it's 'locked up' it may be difficult to pry it loose._ He said to Bahamut however, _:So, you wanna kind of...atone for scaring your mistress, you mean?:_

_:Yes and no. It's customary for Eidolons to show themselves to the young ones...it does no good for young summoners to be afraid of their powers. However, my mistress doesn't remember the lesson.:_

Cloud nodded. _:Well, I'll do the talking and translate for you, he can hear me just fine. 'Scuse me in advance if I talk out loud to you.:_   


_:Nothing to say 'excuse me' about. Why do you ask for my pardon?:_

_:Because at home it's considered very rude to talk aloud to a summoned creature--and one's **never** rude to a Esper! That's what they call summoned creatures back home, besides 'summoned creatures' if you wanted to know, Bahamut.:_

_:That explains it. Thanks, Cloud. Do not worry about it, here it's only the mark of a rank amateur.:_

_:Okay. Bahamut, I got an idea. How does this sound: You fly up well outta Zidane's reach for a while. I'll go over there and try to calm him down.:_

Bahamut blinked. _:Then I come down so he gets the 'object lesson' hmmm? That might work. Okay...I'll look through your eyes a bit so I'll know when he's calmed down.:_

_:Okay.:_ Cloud was used to summoned creatures looking through his eyes along with him. It was the kind of thing one got used to or one didn't summon at all. Summoned creatures had to size up the situation before they made their attack, after all. 

Cloud walked over to Zidane and put his hand on one shoulder.   
"Hey, you okay?" 

Zidane looked up. "Uh..." He was shaking like a leaf. 

Cloud thought a second. _I'd better be careful or I'll make it worse._, he thought. "Sorry about the scare. It's my fault..." 

Zidane swallowed hard. "How...can...that...dragon be your fault?" 

"Because that's a Eidolon, okay? I called him to scare those idiots off. Unfortunately, I forgot that he'd scare you too because I was in a hurry. I'm sorry; should've gotten closer and warned you." 

"A...Eidolon?! I dddidn't know there wwwwere any like that..." 

"Some of them are scary looking, so don't worry about it. That one is Bahamut. He won't hurt you...since part of the summon magic mind-links the summoner and the creature that is summoned until the Eidolon leaves. He knows that I don't want to hurt you, so he won't lay one claw on you. You're safe." 

Zidane's eyes widened; he stopped shaking so bad. Cloud guessed he was starting to get ahold of himself. "Wha? Are you serious?!" 

Cloud nodded. "Besides, Eidolons are just as smart as you or me." 

"I thought he was going to eat you!" 

"**Eat me**?!" Cloud laughed. "Nah, we were talking. See, Eidolons talk mind to mind, so of course you wouldn't of heard anything. They don't talk to people other than the person that summoned them very often." 

_:You got that right!:_ Bahamut said. Cloud realized he was grinning when Zidane asked, "Why are you smiling all of a sudden?" 

Cloud cocked his head upward at Bahamut. "It's Bahamut. He agreed with me." 

"Oh? Like that? I saw your eyes go funny for a second..." 

"Huh...me and my friends back home used to summon a lot, never noticed anythin' like that before. Then again, the summoned creatures never stayed around this long." 

"Makes sense." Just then, Bahamut said, _:I think he's calmed down enough. I'm coming.:_ Cloud cried out with mind and voice, "Be careful Bahamut!" He answered, _:I know what I'm doing. Be easy, okay?:_ Bahamut landed right in front of Zidane and Cloud. Zidane cringed. Bahamut then did a odd thing. He stretched his neck out, touched his muzzle to Zidane, and started...gently nuzzling him. _:Bahamut, are you crazy?!:,_ Cloud said with mind and voice. Bahamut answered, _:No, I think he needed this to overcome his fear.:_ Bahamut backed away a little and looked Zidane straight in the eyes. Nothing needed to be said; Zidane daringly reached up and touched Bahamut's muzzle, stroking it a little, then he backed away. Bahamut nodded, then turned and said, _:I got to leave, okay?:_ which Cloud repeated to Zidane as "He says he has to leave." Zidane nodded as Bahamut took off and disappeared into the sky, vanishing into the shadow world. 

Cloud turned to Zidane. "Well, let's go back inside, okay? I must look awful..." 

Zidane nodded pensively...he obviously had a lot on his mind. They went into the house. Cloud headed into the bathroom so he could finish getting himself fixed up for the day. He figured he'd better shave first, so he got his kit out...including the safety razor. He'd just taken his shaving mug (which he hoped no one would get a good look at, since it was the unbreakable kind), lathered up and begun scraping his face...when he felt another's eyes on him. He turned from the old metal mirror to discover that it was Zidane. 

"Cloud? What are you doing with that funny looking thing?" 

_What? Oh, Zidane must've never seen a safety razor before._ "Erm, just shaving. It's a razor..." 

"Never seen one like that..." 

"Guessed that was why you asked that. I didn't come from aroun' here..." 

"Alanna said that you were from a different world..." 

"She was right. I didn't...it's a long story though." Cloud went back to scraping his face while Zidane waited. It didn't take long for Cloud to finish and reach for the hair gel. (Alanna had said there was something similar around here that he could use when he ran out...) "I didn't really want to come here..." 

"Oh?" 

"Comin' here was due to that I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Cloud ran some gel through his hair and picked up the comb. 

"What happened?" 

Cloud sighed. "It started when I went to pick up a engagement ring from a jeweler in Rocket Town..." 

"Erm...'Rocket Town'" 

"This was on my homeworld, okay? It's called Vida." 

Zidane nodded...just as Cloud finished straightening out his hair. Cloud then headed toward the kitchen, and Zidane followed. While they were on their way, Cloud continued, "That town's quite a ways from where I live, you understand...but I knew I'd have to find one that did good custom designs if I wanted to get a ring for my girlfriend, Tifa. Jewelers that can do good custom stuff are rare." 

"Hmm...why did you have to go to the trouble?" 

"Tifa fights hand-to-hand. I didn't wanna ring that'ud break with one punch...yet it had to be pretty, too. Took me two months of lookin' before I found one who could create a ring that would work. I'll show it to you later if you want to see it." 

"Is Tifa...that girl in the picture that was left on the table in the sitting room?" 

"Yup, that's Tifa." _I don't mind...Guess I was tired last night or I would've put it away._ They entered the kitchen; Cloud reached into the icebox to get some eggs and sausage out to make breakfast with. (Alanna had warned him not to just cook hot mush for a while...that stuff was often found in travel rations) He got them and went to the stove. As he was getting out the frypan, Zidane asked, "Alanna said you could do black magic. Was she telling the truth?" Cloud thought a second, decided that this was worth wasting a bit of energy over so Zidane wouldn't be shocked later and said, "She wasn't. I'll prove it. See that bucket over there in the corner?" Zidane nodded. Cloud cast a low level Ice spell on the bucket, making Zidane jump. Cloud said, "Don't touch that bucket, okay? You'll freeze your hand..." Zidane asked, "Why didn't you just do that to the bullies earlier?" Cloud answered, "'Cause I really didn't want to hurt them, just scare them off. The only way I could do that with any other magic but summon magic would've been to cast an unfocused spell..." 

"Unfocus...uh oh, it would of hit me too, right?" 

_He's not dumb, that's for sure!_ "True. I didn't think I had time to warn you to get out of the way...though summoning has its own problems. Takes more out of a person, for one..." 

"Pardon?"   
Cloud then explained to Zidane what he'd explained to Alanna earlier about magic, but with Zidane, he also made sure to let him know what he knew about how magic worked on his world. _Never hurts to know, I think. Who knows? He might run into someone else who **can** use magic...though he can't I think._ Near the end, Zidane said, "Materia, huh? So if someone stole them..." 

"...I couldn't do magic, that's it." Cloud finished. Zidane nodded.   
It didn't take him long to cook some breakfast and get it on the table. (Luckily the stove was behaving today...) As they ate, they talked. Cloud didn't find out why Zidane had left, but he did find out that Zidane had been wandering around here and there, catching airship rides when he could. He also explained to Zidane the rest of his story (leaving Nora and the mysterious lady out). When Zidane asked, "Is it even possible to travel between worlds on purpose?" Cloud answered, "I think it's nearly impossible to do it on purpose. I won't say it's completely impossible 'cause someone might find a way tomorrow, but it's nearly impossible as far as I can tell. I never did it on purpose, it just happened." Cloud didn't go into details however. Doing that, he knew, would involve mentioning the Guardian. After they finished, Cloud got a kettle and was about to haul water to do the dishes with when out of the blue, Zidane asked, "What are you up to now?" 

Cloud sighed. "Gettin' ready to do the dishes, of course." 

"May I help?" 

"Sure! Just don't touch that bucket I iced, get the one out of the closet, okay?" 

"Okay." With another pair of hands, it didn't take long to get the kettle full and on the stove. While they waited for it to heat, Zidane asked, "What is it with summoning, anyway? That Bahamut scared me good..." 

"It's okay. He scares a lot of people when they first see him, since he looks like a monster. Sorry I didn't warn you, okay?" Zidane nodded. Cloud continued, "Summoning is just a different kind of magic, that's all. For one, the Eidolon's mind is linked with the summoner's as long as the Eidolon is around. So, Bahamut knew what I knew instantly; that I didn't want to hurt you. Even if I'd asked Bahamut to tear those bullies apart, he'd of left you alone." 

"Are there others besides Bahamut and Shiva?" 

"Yeah, there are. From what I know at home and from what Alanna told me, there's Ifrit, Odin, Phoenix, Ramuh, and more. I dunno all of them here, but then again, all I can summon right now is Shiva and Bahamut. I left the other summon materia home-I wasn't gonna be going anywhere dangerous, after all, so I wasn't prepared for big trouble." _That's true, as far as it goes. Wasn't expecting any trouble, really._

"That was Shiva yesterday, right?" 

"Yeah." Something occurred to Cloud (he remembered that Alanna had told him that Zidane seemed interested in girls), and he said warningly: "Oh, don't ever ogle her, k? Get your mind off her quickly if I summon her again...force yourself to think of a job you really, really, hate." 

"Why?"   
"'Cause she hates it, okay? She might decide to ice your face and then laugh at you eventually, if she gets annoyed about it enough." 

Zidane shuddered and said, "I gotcha." 

It wasn't long after that until the water got hot enough to do the dishes in. Cloud dragged the kettle on the back porch. Cloud washed this time, Zidane rinsed. As they worked on this mundane task, Cloud thought: _Looks like I managed to hit it off. He isn't a bad guy, really. Hope I can keep those bullies off him...but who knows the future? I guess only Nora knows. I hope he doesn't decide to run off...anyway, after this, I'd better see if he's got a practice weapon and ask if he wants to train a bit. You don't, you get rusty really fast. I still wonder though: why did Nora think I'd do for this? Zidane's a lot different than I was..._

Go to Chapter 5?


	5. Passing The Torch Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

...It turned out that things did work out. The bullies...or should I call them 'people who have a taste for hazing, of all things'?...left Zidane alone for a few days, long enough for him to get to know me...and to truly get to like and respect Alanna. Who would of thought that he really had a talent for using the swordstaff...that no one had caught since there aren't many people who actually USE the swordstaff? I wanna kill whoever tried to teach him to use a short sword, however. He can't hardly use it...he only can use it well enough to look good in a play. It turned out he's a natural at the swordstaff, however. I made sure he had a way to get my attention quickly--as well as I'm more of a partner with him now. One has to be careful of a guy's pride, after all.  
...I should've known, though, when I found out that he's noticing and likes girls that it might cause trouble. It did...he tried to help Alanna out and ended up...well...screwing up big time and breaking one of the cardinal rules of being a thief: 'don't get away by getting someone else in trouble if you DO get caught'. Oops. Had to rescue him from Alanna...I'd better remember NOT to get her mad. She turns into a banshee then!  
...And then, after Alanna had calmed down...well...I discovered that 'whatever was bothering him' had finally hit him full force--as well as I got a bad case of déjà vu because of the situation. It reminded me of when I flunked out as a SOLDIER trainee...And now I know why Nora chose me over anyone else. It was 'cause I know what it's like to lose a dream...that's what the problem was: he was about to lose a dream. He hadn't realized it was gone until he asked Alanna about what he was looking for...  
...And then, on this rainy day, he asked me about what had happened back during the Jenova War (though he didn't know that what me and my friends went through is now being called the Jenova War). I saw no harm in telling him, as long as he knew it's okay to interrupt to ask questions because Vida is really different than Gaia, and some of our technology sounds nearly impossible to someone who hasn't lived there...   
~~From Cloud's journal

It didn't take that long to finish the dishes with two pairs of hands, not really. While Cloud was scrubbing the frypan (a nasty job with no steel wool pads) Zidane asked, "Why did you help me, anyway?" Cloud answered, "Because I really hate bullies or people who...erm...do that kinda thing..." _Yeah, hate hazing. Really hate hazing._ That reminded him of when he first went into SOLDIER training:

It wasn't nice in Midgar, but the part where they actually trained members of SOLDIER was on the plates, not in the slums...it was somewhere behind ShinRa HQ. Anyone could try...many did, but few actually made it...mostwent into the normal ShinRa Guard. He'd applied...and gotten in...but staying in would be a different story...Well, on his first day, he'd gotten some of the toughest guys pretty mad for some reason. They decided to make him an example. They had strung him up by the collar in the locker room, but then this black haired guy came upon them and yelled, "Get your stinking hands off him!" There was a fight, they all got in trouble, but Cloud and that black haired guy had won. The guy's name who had helped him was named Zack...

_That's something I'd rather not remember. How embarrassing...though I'd made a friend that day. Zack was my best friend among the SOLIDER trainees...ah, I still miss him..._ Cloud shook himself out of the memory and went back to the dishes. 

He glanced over at Zidane and noticed he was a little miffed. He thought a second, then realized what the problem was. _Must've hurt his pride a bit. Wait, I think I know how to stop this before it starts...Don't wanna be fighting with him...that never works._

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you when I summoned to save your butt. There's a better way though. Someone once told me a long time ago that "when two or more people team up and work together as one, one plus one can equal much more than two". _I think it was that lady Instructor...what was her name? Icicle? No, that can't be right...crap!_

Zidane seemed to consider that a second. Then he shook himself and said, "What are you getting at?" 

"Simple. I'd rather team up with you than keep jumping in like I just did. If people work together in a fight, they can combine their abilities in a way. Bet you can guess what that means..." Cloud thought it would be better if Zidane could figure it out. 

He wasn't disappointed either; Zidane (who had been rinsing and drying) nodded and said, "You mean, fighting together as swordsibs?" 

Cloud nodded. 

"What did that person mean, anyway?", Zidane continued.

"Think she meant that two people who work together can actually help each other. Nobody can see that monster that comes from behind you; but if you're with a friend or two, they might see it and take it out. It also helps to have friends when dealing with a very nasty monster..."

"Oh, now I get it." Zidane smiled.

It wasn't long after that that they finished the dishes. As they were putting them away, Cloud said:

"Think I need to go get some things... Alanna's comin' over later to train with me for a while. Do you wanna join in?" _It'll be stupid if he didn't take the chance._, Cloud thought.

"Yeah, I'd better. Don't wanna get rusty..."

"Okay. Then I need to get you a practice weapon. Can you come along?"

"Sure. I gotcha-you don't wanna get the wrong weapon, right?"

Cloud nodded. He grabbed a big basket (for the groceries), locked the door, and they both went to the market. Cloud decided to leave the groceries until last; what other things he was planning on getting wouldn't spoil. They went to the market. When they got to the guy who sold practice weapons, Cloud was surprised to find that Zidane also picked out a short sword as well as a dagger. _Weird, I thought thieves didn't use swords_, he thought. Then they went to another craftsman that Cloud had noticed earlier. He bought a whistle, then turned to Zidane.

"This's yours."

"Why? I don't need a whistle..."

"It's just in case we get separated and you get in a bad fight. You blow that and I hear it, I'll come running to help." _Not perfect._,Cloud thought. _I'd rather use a cell phone, but without satellites and all that, the cell phone isn't any good, 'specially since I don't have two. That's why I took the battery out in the first place._

"Ohh, gotcha." Zidane pocketed it. It didn't take them long to get the rest of the groceries and get home. Cloud quickly put the food away.

Cloud turned to Zidane.

"Think it's been long enough, wanna go outside for a while and practice? Alanna is gonna be here soon, but I won't mind if I cross blades with you for a while."

"Okay!" 

They both got their practice weapons and went outside. Cloud stretched a bit (he didn't want to get hurt), then they had at it. Cloud held back, not wanting to hurt Zidane. _Never forgot what the weapons instructor in SOLIDER said; "If you break your partner, nobody else'll wanna play with you". That's too true._ Cloud's big wooden practice sword and the practice dagger that Zidane had got met again and again; Cloud admired his skill though Zidane really wasn't that strong, he could tell. _He's not bad, not bad at all._ It didn't take too long for Zidane to get winded (Cloud was used to watching his partner for the early signs, he always did that since he didn't want to get someone so out of breath that they couldn't talk; again, that was something his teachers would of rounded him on long ago, so it had become almost instinct) 

"Okay, we'd better take a break." Cloud said. Zidane nodded, and walked around the yard slowly a bit (_He knows what he's doing._, Cloud thought) and then he switched to the sword. He didn't know how to use that very well, Cloud found out very quickly. Cloud was able to disarm Zidane pretty fast. They tried again, with the same result. _Goodness, he's clumsy with that sword. Why'd he pick that, anyway?_

At about the third attempt, Cloud heard Alanna come up. He wasn't paying attention where she was, but she obviously saw what had happened and said, "Yeek! That 'ol dog don't hunt, how long have ya been tryin' ta learn ta use that thing?" 

Zidane looked up. He answered "About three years". 

"Yeowch! Your weapons instructor is a dummy and a idiot, he shoulda figured out that ya don't got no talent for that weapon by now! No talent, it's near impossible for somebody ta use a certain weapon. Put that stupid thing away, it's not doin' ya any good." 

Zidane looked a bit hurt, but he listened and put it away. Alanna gave Zidane a long look. Something obviously occurred to her, for she said, "Huh, this may seem way off, but...did ya ever meet someone who could use swordstaves before?" 

Zidane looked up and shook his head. Alanna continued, "You got the right build ta try one, I think. If ya don't got no talent for it, well, yer no worse off than ya are now." 

She cocked her head at Zidane; Zidane looked like he'd been hit with a board. He was that surprised. "You're kidding me." 

"No, I'm not. I'm willin' ta see if ya got what it takes. Ya wanna try?" 

Zidane cocked his head for a moment, thinking. Alanna let him. _I gotcha, ye gal._, Cloud thought. _Maybe he can, all he can do with the sword is look pretty. And I understand, it's worth a try. It's all up to Zidane though._

It didn't take long for Zidane to make up his mind. 

"Okay. I'll try..." 

Alanna nodded. "Just a sec, k?" She ran off for a minute; when she came back she had two of her practice swordstaves. She tested the weight of each of them carefully, then handed Zidane one of them. "Ah got cheated a while back. The guy didn't weight it like I asked him ta." 

Zidane's eyes widened. "You practice with weighted weapons!?" 

Alanna nodded. "Yup. Heck, toldja earlier that it's hard for a gal to get any respect, right?" Zidane nodded. "That's why I get my practice weapons weighted...and I've been gettin' new ones that are slightly heavier every time I get used ta da weight of my current one." She chuckled. "It may seem stupid, but it works. Ya prolly won't be able to pick up my current fav right now tho. It's likely too heavy." 

"May I?" Zidane asked. Alanna handed him the one he was holding. He couldn't hold it up; his eyes widened again. "Yikes, that's heavy! I can't believe you actually use THAT!" 

Alanna grinned and took it back. "Been usin' weighted weapons from day one when I started trainin'. If ya wanna, I'll help ya get weighted practice weapons a bit later, it really helps. Ya just have ta build up ta it, that's all." 

Zidane nodded. Cloud said, "Okay, I'll go beat up the pell for a while..." 

"And I'll yell when I'm good an' ready." Alanna finished. 

Cloud went over to practice against one of the pells for a while. He did it from one side this time so he could see what was going on since he was a bit curious. Alanna showed Zidane how to swing it in slow motion; he gave it a try and...it didn't look too bad at all, though Cloud was no judge of that. 

"Woah!" Alanna said. "Ya never even tried it and ya did better than I did when I first started! What do ya think of it, anyway?" 

Zidane balanced the practice weapon for a second. "Like, oh, this is something I lost and I just found." 

"Shows yer a natural, Zidane! But don't get lazy now. My old master, Levitz, once said, "Talent will only bring you to 'good'. Practice will bring you to 'great'" 

Zidane nodded. Cloud was watching the scene out of the corner of one eye. _Looks like Alanna's hunch was right. Zidane CAN use her favored weapon, if he gets enough practice. She told me she trusts her hunches a lot._ It got to just practicing, things Cloud wasn't that interested in. He paid more attention then to his swordstrokes on the pell. That, it didn't matter if he broke it, pells were made so they weren't expensive anyway and so they would break...especially with someone as strong as Cloud. After about thirty minutes, Cloud took a break and checked; they'd switched back to daggers for the moment. Cloud smiled at that. _Yes, she uses daggers once in a while. She told me that most thieves start with that weapon._ After a little while, Alanna turned toward Cloud. 

"Okay, Zidane, take a break and get a drink of water. Cloud, ya ready?" 

Cloud nodded and raised his blade. Alanna came up as well, raised her swordblade(she'd switched back) and they began to practice-bout. Then it was nothing more than block, strike, dodge...the usual. Cloud this time could feel another's eyes on him; it was obviously Zidane watching them. Cloud wasn't paying much attention since he was concentrating on the practice bout. Eventually, Alanna got out of breath and she took a break. Cloud turned toward Zidane again. 

"You wanna give it another go?" 

Zidane nodded; they went at it again. Zidane was still using a dagger at this point; Cloud guessed that he didn't feel confident enough to just use the practice swordstaff. Back and forth, dodge and block, the dance went on for a while. That is, until Cloud noticed Zidane was starting to get out of breath. Then Zidane took a break while Cloud had it out again with Alanna. This went on for a couple of hours, then Alanna said "That's enough" and left. She was pretty tired by this time. So was Zidane; he'd quit a while ago. 

Cloud turned to Zidane. 

"You just stretch and put your practice weapons away. I'm going back inside." 

Zidane nodded and walked to the far side of the yard. Cloud smiled and went into the basement, as he did every time Alanna left. First he did some push ups and sit ups...he knew from sordid experience that if he wasn't practicing with his friends, it just wasn't quite enough. _Sheesh, if I don't exercise enough, I get cramps...well...in embarrassing places. Darn that Jenova sometimes! I can't be lazy even once!_

Cloud soon finished exercising and stretched; then he went into one corner, where he had three or four cushions in a pile. He sat down, settled himself, and relaxed, using meditation to go into a mild trance. He could feel the materia that were on his bangle as the sparks of power that they were; for as his usual habit, he was practicing the mental and physical discipline he had learned in SOLIDER training. It was a kind of trance; but the exercises were designed to fine-tune one's concentration and keep one from getting too rusty when it came to using it with Materia. The only problem with doing it was you wern't aware of externals that much... 

Well before Cloud was ready, he suddenly realized that someone was shaking him hard and yelling at him. _Drat!_ Cloud thought, and bobbed up with a painful start. It was Zidane. 

"Don't do that!" Cloud said, annoyed. 

"I couldn't get your attention! What were you doing?" 

Cloud sighed. "I was practicing some mental discipline. Have to; makes it easier to use my materia. What's so urgent that you had to shake me out of it?" 

"Not really, I didn't know what you were doing. I just wanted to talk to you." 

"What is it?" 

"Um...Alanna's nice, isn't she?" 

"Yeah, she is. Did she give you any trouble?" 

Zidane shook his head. "She was trying to teach me how to get a swordstaff to extend, I couldn't do it!" He looked a bit upset. 

_Hmm,_ Cloud thought absently. Then he got a brainstorm. _Wait a second! She said that she 'has ta think at it' to get hers to extend or retract. That smells like one of the techniques in using Materia to me. Maybe the mental discipline techniques that I learned in SOLIDER would help him too...if I can teach him? Well, no harm done if he learns it; I was told that it could help anybody, since most of them are designed to flex ones mental muscles a bit and hone one's concentration and focus to a razor edge. That's good for anybody, really, mage or not._ He smiled at Zidane. "If that's anything like I think it is, maybe the mental discipline that I use'll help you with that. Would you like to try to learn it? Be warned, it takes a while to master the techniques..." 

Zidane seemed to consider it a few minutes, and then said, "Yeah..it can't hurt, can it?" 

Cloud shook his head. "Don't think so. Okay, just get yourself comfortable, doesn't matter how..." 

The next thirty or so minutes, Cloud did his best to explain it...and he succeeded...at least in explaining it well enough that Zidane could figure out how to start it. However, the usual things interfered that Cloud remembered when he first started -- Zidane got a leg cramp and complained about it. (Cloud got him to stretch it out) Above all, Zidane hadn't done badly for a first try. 

* * *

Five weeks later... 

Zidane grinned as he ran back from the King Mansion. _Boy, is Alanna gonna be surprised! She's been looking for Star Daggers for a while, I got two of 'em! That was real easy, too!_

He'd come to really like both Alanna and Cloud. Cloud was a nice guy, if prone to brooding a lot and being a bit too serious a lot of the time. And Alanna...! She wasn't pretty, not by a long shot. But she was the first girl he could actually talk to without his tongue freezing to the top of his mouth. Besides, she actually listened to him. Most girls didn't pay any attention to him except to say, "Get lost, kid, your're bothering me". 

He'd also found out three weeks ago why he'd had such a horrendous appetite; it was simple. He was growing. AGAIN. He'd thought he was through before this, but nature had to go and throw that at him. Cloud had helped him yet again; he'd helped him get some new shoes since his old ones had started to pinch. He'd have to get new pants soon; they were starting to get a bit short. 

He'd gotten the idea to raid the King Mansion the other day. Just as Alanna was leaving for home after she taught Zidane and trained with both of them, she'd told Cloud that she'd raided a certain house earlier and...she'd hoped there'd be some Star Daggers there but there wasn't. Cloud had asked why, she'd said something about a new weapon she'd wanted to get forged, but Star Daggers were incredibly hard to find. Zidane remembered that last time they had been there, the Kings had had a matched set of those daggers. So he'd decided to go get them, not only so he could impress Alanna, but so she could pay her back a bit. He'd finally figured out how to make her swordblade extend, though he didn't doubt that the mental discipline helped. He'd noticed since he'd gotten the hang of it and wasn't bothered by cramps and such any more, he'd had an easier time of doing even the Flee technique; it was easier to activate a pinch of the mintha powder. (That stuff was common as dirt, but to most people it was nearly useless.) 

He ran down the street, being careful to keep his eyes and ears open. Those idiots had pounced on him a few days earlier, but Zidane never knew when they'd pounce again. 

_They're soo...darn...persistent! I remember what happened, I almost got away..._

_I'd used the Flee technique right at the first, not asking them what they had against me...I knew that it was no good to ask, I'd only get cornered... However, it hadn't QUITE worked...they spotted me again five minutes later....Lucky Cloud had heard the whistle and came running. He'd did a quick bird call to warn me he was gonna use a unfocused spell (it was one that was from around where he was born, he said) and I'd jumped straight up and grabbed a drainpipe to get the heck out of the way. He cast it all right...it was an Ice Spell. Some of them yelled about it, he bluffed by saying that he'd cast a Lightening spell next if they didn't get the heck out of there. They did. I asked him a little later why he didn't just clobber them, he'd said: "I'd rather they learned their lesson and not pick on anyone else. Don't see a good reason to kill them."_

_Gave me some good advice, he did then._ Zidane smiled. _He said, never try to pick a fight unless the 'fight's been picked'. He meant that you HAD to fight. And insults don't count._

He chuckled to himself. _He's right though. There are times when it IS picked and you can't do a thing about it. That includes when you have to 'settle a dispute with the blade'._

He then noticed something. _Uh oh!_ he thought, for he'd thought he'd seen one of those awful bullies. He ducked quickly behind two buildings and hid behind some trash. He waited there quietly, peeking a bit and making sure he kept his tail down. He knew now that they were too much for him to handle alone; it took Cloud to chase them away. He was right this time; it WAS one of the bullies. He heard him say, "Thought I saw...naah, he ain't around now" and he left. Then Zidane got out from behind the trash and went on his way. _Whew, close call._ It didn't take him long to get back and go toward Alanna's place. Just as he came up to Alanna's house, the door flew open. A oglop hopped out. A split second later, Alanna ran out with a rather greasy and yukky looking broom. She swatted the oglop with it before it got very far. 

"Bleeech!" she muttered. "Darn these oglops in da house..." Then she looked up and saw Zidane. "Heya there. What'cha up ta?" 

Zidane smiled. So far so good.... 

* * *

A bit later, Cloud was walking toward the house he was renting. He'd just been going out for some groceries; he now had the first load (some milk and cheese) in a big basket he was carrying. _Pretty quiet today._, he thought. Just as he rounded the corner, he heard some yelling. It was Alanna... 

"You cad! You idiot! Doin' it like that! Getting AMARANT in trouble so you could get away! He'll come after ya, sooner or later, did ya know that ya idiot?" she shrieked. She was chasing Zidane around with a VERY oily looking broom. (Cloud recognized it as the one she used to swat some pesty bugs called oglops with) She continued to chase Zidane around, calling Zidane almost every bad name in the book. At the top of her lungs, that is. 

_Yikes, what's this about? Graah, I'd better see if I can stop this. What caused her to decide to act like a banshee, anyway?_ He held on to the basket and ran up to where the fur was flying. 

"**Alanna**! What's going on? What happened?" 

Alanna looked at Cloud with a dirty look. "Zidane got some Star Daggers for me, but he got the guard in trouble to get away! It was Salamander..." 

"I heard you yelling at Zidane about an 'Amarant'..." 

"I just call him 'Salamander' because of his hot temper. His real name is Amarant." She was furious; Zidane cringed. 

"Calm down, Alanna. No need to wake up the neighbors, though I think you've already done that." He turned to Zidane. 

"What happened? How come you had to 'get that guard in trouble'?" _I've been avoiding Salamander erm...Amarant since I don't want to get in a fight. Guess I don't have to worry about him now..._

"Um...he caught me, I had to get away somehow..." Zidane said in a trembly tone of voice. 

Cloud shook his head. "Next time, watch out and don't get caught in the first place." He then muttered, "I thought thieves weren't supposed to get caught..." 

Zidane then said, "I heard that. I won't let it happen again..." 

Cloud nodded and then turned to Alanna. 

"Take three deep breaths and calm down, I think he's sorry." 

She nodded and did so. Cloud noticed her lips moving, he guessed she was counting to ten as well. "Everything okay now?" 

"Yeah" Alanna said. "Go take care ah the rest of yer errands, I'll handle things here." When Cloud hesitated a bit, she made a shooing motion with on hand and and said, "Git! It's gonna be okay" 

Cloud nodded and ran to the house to put the milk and cheese away. (He always took care of that first since he didn't want anything to spoil) Then he went back to the market to get some bread and fruit and to check on the job he had the next night. That took a while. He went back, taking his time. Everything seemed to be quiet when he went back onto the street that the house he was renting on. He went back into the house, but then he heard Zidane crying softly. _What now?_, he thought. He ran into the 'living room'. There was Zidane, leaning against one arm and crying. Cloud dropped the basket; a apple bounced out and rolled on the floor, unnoticed. He walked up, touched Zidane on the shoulder, and asked, "What"s wrong?" 

Zidane looked up, hiccuped, and said, "Nnnothing. Leave me alone..." 

_Woah!_ Cloud thought. He was having quite a case of déjà vu at the moment. He remembered... 

_ He'd been on the bed, crying with his face stuffed in his pillow, with the pink slip that was the notice that he had washed out of SOLIDER training clenched in his fist. Suddenly, a hand had touched him on the shoulder. It was Zack, who said, "What's wrong, Cloud?" He'd whined, "Nnnothing, leave me alone!" He threw a pillow at Zack... _

_Goodness, I did almost the same thing...but that time, it was Zack trying to get my attention. Now I'm in ZACK'S shoes. I never expected this..._ He thought a minute. _And part of what happened...two years ago...was I had to get rid of Zack's ghost...I'm glad Tifa helped when it came down to it...But I can't handle this his way. Gotta do it my way, though...Zack, wherever your soul is now, guide me now, please?!_ He reached out again. "No, there's something wrong or you wouldn't be upset. It's okay, you can tell me." 

"You wouldn't understaaaand..." 

_More déjà vu! I said that too. Well, guess he needs a bit more encouragement..._

"Try me, I've been through a lot more than you realize. Besides...I won't make fun of you for crying, I promise. Whoever made up the rule that 'only wussy boys cry' ought to be sho...hanged!" _Oops. Caught myself just in time. He probably won't know what 'being shot' is._

Zidane looked up. He was still crying silently, but he seemed to be considering that. Then he sobbed out his story. He'd asked Alanna earlier if she'd seen anyone like him on her travels (he'd finally gotten up the courage) and she'd said no...he'd been searching for his people... 

"A a all I wanted to know is where I came from. The only memory I got from home is a blue light...Don't even know why I hitched that ride with that airship and came to Lindbulm in the first place...Been dreaming of searching for them for yyears..." 

_Oh. My. Goodness. It's tempting to just tell him, but I still remember what Nora said: 'it would destroy him'. Don't want to be that cruel. But now it's obvious what the 'searching for something very unwisely' was; trying to find his birthplace on only THAT clue? Fat chance of finding it, he should've known that. And it's also obvious now why she thought I'd do. I know what loss--either loss of a dream or a friend--is like._ He had three flashes of memory: Sephiroth falling from the sky and impaling Aeris on the Masamune; the death of Zack; and the time he'd lost his dream to be a member of SOLDIER. _Yes, I can help him out here. No problem. Could get a bit painful, though._

He leaned over and whispered to Zidane, "You're not alone; I've lost a dream, as well as friends, myself." 

Zidane looked up, startled. Tears were still streaming down his cheeks. He asked, "How...what? What, who did you lose?" 

Cloud bowed his head. "As for 'who', there was two friends of mine that were killed right in front of me. As for what, let me tell you that story. You know I came from a different world, right?" Zidane slowly nodded. "Well, once on my world there was a elite part of an army called SOLIDER. I'd rashly decided to run away from home and try to join it. I'd managed to get into training. The odds were against me to make it through, I knew. Eight out of ten people that went into SOLIDER training washed out of the program. I was doing fine up until a couple of months until the end. I checked my mail one morning to find...a pink slip of paper...that meant they were kicking me out..." 

Zidane's eyes widened. He shook his head a bit, then said, "You wern't kidding." He leaned up against Cloud's arm; Cloud gripped Zidane's shoulder. Cloud hadn't planned it, but he felt a couple of silly tears trickle down his cheeks.He got ahold of himself and said, "Do you want some advice?" Zidane nodded. "For one, you're lucky. This isn't like my foray into trying to join SOLIDER in one point: one could only try to join once in their lifetime. If one washed out, that person couldn't ever try again. But...this means you didn't come from anywhere on this continent. It's too hard to travel to other continents, isn't it?" Zidane nodded again. "Number one, don't let yourself believe that dream is completely dead. Think of it as if some idiot cast a sleep spell on it and nothing can wake it up; you might be able to make it come true one day, but not right now. Number two, it's as if you're at a crossroads. There are several things you can do; you just have to make up your mind what. Don't rush, think your options over carefully, for one little decision can change the rest of your life." _No kidding. Look what trying to join SOLDIER did!_ "Number three; I won't deny it, this kinda thing hurts. Any loss hurts. Get the feelings out, don't bottle them up inside. It's worse if you don't let'em out, believe me." 

Zidane nodded, tears streaming down his face still. He burrowed his face into Cloud's arm again; Cloud carefully put his other arm around Zidane's shoulders. It took quite a while for Zidane to calm down. 

* * *

Two days later, they both ran inside after training in a nasty rainstorm that had blown up. _Pafooey! Hate this kind of weather!_, Cloud thought. _Still remember what the Instructors said and what I know from experience; "Monsters and attackers don't wait for nice weather"_

They parted quickly; Cloud grabbed some dry clothes out of the closet and changed. He made sure both the Ultima Weapon and his armor was all right and dried off; this was another thing that was a very ingrained habit. He then went into the living room with some firewood. _I know, 'catching cold from just getting wet' is just an old wives' tale. But they don't know it's an old wives' tale here. I don't like being wet and cold anyway._

It didn't take Cloud long to start the fire. Then Zidane came in. He sat down by the fire; then he grabbed the poker and started poking around in the fire absently. Cloud grabbed a wooden chair and pulled it up by the hearth. Just as he sat down, Zidane looked up. 

"Cloud?" 

"Hm?" 

"You said the other day that you'd been through a lot." 

"Yeah, true. Had a lot of adventures, made a lot of friends along the way...even had to find myself all over again after a fashion a couple of years ago." 

"Wha? What DID happen that caused you to 'have to find yourself'?" 

_Whoo boy. Two years ago... that was the Jenova War. But anyway...no harm in telling him. Though I'll have to be careful; there's a lot of stuff he might not get._ "Okay, I'll tell you. Remember, most of this took place on my world. There's technology that seems impossible there to someone from here, I assume. Besides, the story is confusing as it is. Go ahead and interrupt me if something puzzles you." Then Cloud began with, "It all started when I wandered into Midgar (which I don't remember how I got into that town too clearly) and ran into Tifa..." Zidane asked what a train was and a few other things; Cloud answered the best he could. When Cloud got to the part about blowing up the reactors, Zidane asked him "Why did your friend ask you to plant those things, since he knew that might hurt a lot of people?" Cloud answered, "I think Barret felt that was the only way to stop them. I've never asked." Zidane also considered Cloud lucky for surviving that fall into the church, was somewhat disgusted by Don Corneo, and thought it was senseless that Shinra had brought down that plate just to get rid of a few people. He was mostly quiet until Cloud described how Sephiroth had killed Aeris; then he cried out, "Shit! That guy is terrible!" 

"Was, you mean. He's not around any more." 

"You mean it?" 

"Yeah, I'm getting to that." And Cloud went on. Zidane told him when he got to the part where he'd just given up fighting and just listened to Sephiroth that "that was terrible. What happened?" 

"I just lost all hope when what Sephiroth told me that stuff. Lost my confidence, lost all hope. That's when I truly became a puppet for a while. Part of me deep down really hated what I was doing; part of me welcomed it...After that though, I ended up drifting in the Lifestream for a while...didn't care, didn't even remember who I was..." He went on. Zidane was astounded at what Tifa had managed to do ("now that's a friend!") and interrupted again when he got to the part about Holy. He asked, "Did Aeris...really have to die then?" 

Cloud answered, "I'm not sure. Red XIII told me later there were two translations from the original book for that. One said, 'one's spirit must reach the Planet' and the other said, 'one's wish must reach the Planet'. It's not clear which one was right...I guess only Aeris knows." He quietly continued his story...Zidane didn't say a thing more until Cloud got to the part where Sephiroth pulled Cloud away like he'd had...then he said, "Whoo! That idiot.." 

"No kidding he was an idiot. I let him have it then." It didn't take Cloud long after that to get to the part where they escaped from the Northern Crater and flew near Midgar. He described the battle between Holy and Meteor and then said, "I knew somehow it was Aeris but I don't know how, but the Lifestream came from everywhere and focused on Midgar. It blinded us for a good five minutes...." 

Zidane then said, "What happened after that?" 

"Well, first thing after the spots cleared from our eyes, Cid landed the Highwind. Then we went into Kalm and met Reeve in the flesh for the first time. He did something that I didn't quite see and Cait walked away. Then we all started evacuating Midgar; that place had become very unsafe. All of us helped find survivors; there was a lot of people who died. Only eight out of ten people in Midgar survived that..." 

Cloud could tell then that Zidane was doing some fast calculations in his head. "Not good odds..." 

"That's true. Anyway, when we were almost finished, Reeve started muttering about "This didn't have to happen, is there a way to prevent it from happening again?" Just as we rescued a baby from the rubble, he got a brainstorm! His idea was to build a new Midgar...I had to stop Barret from throttling Reeve right then and there. It turned out he didn't want to follow the old designs at all, let alone use Mako Reactors; he wanted to build a town...which was a center of learning so that people could actually learn what had happened...and maybe find a career along the way. Reeve said, "They say, he that does not learn about and from the past is doomed to repeat it. I'd rather that future generations learned that the Jenova Project and using Mako for power was a Very Bad Idea." Then Barret calmed down; he liked that idea. After we finished, me and Tifa went back to Nibelheim for a while; it turned out that while we were cleaning up Midgar, the actors had all skivvied off. The quiet became really oppressive after a while...so we moved to New Midgar, which isn't that far from Kalm. It's a big town on the coast, but the way it's designed...it's beautiful. They get power there from coal, wind, and the tides.' 

"Woow..must be a pretty place then, right?"

"Mmm, it is. I couldn't stay still for a while and went wandering to help sort things out. I finally did..but not without ending up on still another world...That was quite an adventure in itself. Didn't like how that one ended though."

"How did that one end, anyway?" 

"I woke up one day to find myself in the snow in the Northern Crater..." 

"Yuck. You're lucky you didn't freeze.." 

"I guess. Anyway, that's when I finally fully came to grips with the fact that Aeris was dead and there was no way, really, to bring her back. She'd been temporarily revived on Ramza's world, but she was killed again. I talked to her spirit in the Northern Crater before I left...she said that she had been willing to die if that's what it took to stop Sephiroth...that's when I finally understood." 

"And what happened after that?" 

"Not much to tell. I went back to New Midgar and started goin' steady with Tifa. It's been pretty quiet up until now..until the day I got shifted pretty suddenly to this world." 

Zidane nodded. Cloud then thought, _Who would of known a bit of curiosity would of got me here? It's gonna be hard to leave, I know that. It's like I found Zack all over again, though it isn't the same. There's no one that's the same as someone you leave behind...well, I just hope this turns out well in the end..._

Go to Chapter 6? 


	6. Passing The Torch, Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

....Nothing lasts forever. I knew that I wouldn't be on Gaia forever, I'd have to leave sometime, though it would really hurt to leave Zidane behind. It took two weeks for Zidane to really get himself together and get over that disappointment, but when he did...he made the decision to go back to Lindbulm...and rejoin Tantalus. Well, wouldn't you know that Murphy's Law...that is, "if anything can go wrong, it will" decided to rear its head just a little bit? Yep. Those creeps finally decided to rear their ugly heads one more time, and this time I got a bit tied up and couldn't help. Not only that, they finally identified themselves...and Zidane didn't like it one bit (he'd met them before with the other members of Tantalus. It wasn't a friendly meeting, I gather) Zidane managed to pull one heck of a surprise out of a hat and saved both our butts. He startled me, but I was glad that it happened.  
...I'd decided that no matter what, I was gonna make sure Zidane got back safe. He did, but I'm not sure about Baku. Boy, I understand a spanking, but...that was excessive. Alanna wasn't kidding when she said that "Baku's rough". Nora confirmed that Zidane's gonna be okay, though, so I'm not that worried.  
...Saying goodbye was kinda painful though, it always is...especially in this case. I had known from the beginning I was going to really let my guard down and let Zidane see who I really am, not the cold mercenary that most people see (other than my friends and Tifa). But ahh, it was really hard to leave...  
~~From Cloud's journal

Two weeks passed after that rainstorm. One day after the usual practice session (Zidane was getting better and better all the time) Zidane tapped Cloud on the shoulder after they practiced the mental discipline. 

"Cloud?" 

"Hm?" 

"I've been thinking. I don't really belong here." 

"I understand." _No kidding. I'm a bit weird, I wasn't raised here, and this isn't his "Promised Land". Aeris mentioned once that the "Promised Land" is not just a place, it's where you feel most at home. She also said after I got back that one time that one could find a piece of it before one dies if you're lucky. That's what he needs to get to...if he can find it._

"Well, I've been thinking. I bet Baku is worried about me; I left without telling him where I was goin'. I miss Blank and the others too. I think...it's time to go back to Lindbulm and see if I can't rejoin Tantalus." He looked kind of resigned. 

_Um...guess this seemed to be his only option. Or the best one, I hope that's the case._ "It'll be a couple of days, I'd like to get Alanna to help and I'd like to come along. One has to give the landlord a couple of days notice." 

"Hmmm? Why?" 

"First off, Alanna has an airship..." 

"Aha! Easy way to get back, then..." 

"Yup. Also, I just wanna escort ya home. Once ya get with Tantalus again, I doubt those stupid bullies'll bother you again. Then I gotta leave." 

"Leave? Why?" 

Cloud knew that Zidane thought that 'the powers that be' could yank him away at any time. _Shame I'm gonna have to lie, but it's either that or mention the Guardian..._ "I don't know when the 'powers that be' are going to yank me away. I'd rather part on my terms, and not you go over to wherever I'm staying and find out the place's abandoned..." 

Zidane nodded. "Shall we go ambush Alanna?" he said. 

"Good idea." That's exactly what they did; Cloud also found the landlord and gave him the notice that he was vacating. 

* * *

A day passed; Cloud worked on getting rid of the furniture and stuff. He kept some of the dishrags (they were better than the ones he could get at home; all he knew is a knitter in the market made them) and a blanket, though. The beds and the table and chairs would go just before they left. That day, they went out to get a few supplies...basically stuff to put together a lunch, since it wouldn't take more than the morning to get to Lindbulm, Alanna had said. This time, Zidane had decided to come along. As they got some rolls, it seemed something occurred to Zidane, for he looked straight at Cloud and asked: 

"Cloud? You said something earlier that you threw Sephiroth in that...erm, pool..." 

"Yeah?" 

"How did you find the strength to do that?" 

"I dunno. I was just so mad..." 

"Mmm. Maybe it's a case of you were in a jam and it was pure desperation or something..." 

_Out of the mouths of babes...Well, that can be one way of looking at it._ "That's a possibility, and a very good one." 

Just then, they were walking by a dark alley. Without any warning whatsoever, a lasso sailed out and landed right over Cloud's head. It slipped down, then pinned his arms to his body. Just as that happened, a net landed on Cloud as well. _Uh oh!_, Cloud thought. _Should of remembered that dream last night...I think Nora was trying to warn me about THIS..._ He struggled to get loose, but it was no use. Whoever had the other end of the lasso had tied it so it was tight and had laced it through the net in the first place. Not to mention, they'd tied it somewhere were it was taut and it was a VERY strong rope; Cloud couldn't break it. Then Zidane's old familiar tormentors jumped out...this time with a few adults as well. 

"Uh oh, it's the Tronark Gang! They hate Baku and the rest of the gang for some reason..." Zidane yelled. 

"Right you are, little monkey boy. Now you're gonna pay!" said one guy that seemed to be the leader. _Oh noooo! I'd better try a spell, quick!_ He tried, but someone was watching for that because they whapped him in the head quick with something painful. That caused him to see stars for a second. That distracted him enough that it stopped him from casting any spells. _This's quite a mess! How am I gonna get out of this one?_

Zidane was kind of busy at the moment; three or four people had jumped on him. He was doing a lot better than before he met Cloud, but it didn't mean he didn't worry. _Cloud! **Oh no**!_ Out of the corner of his eye, they saw them whack Cloud again and again with a very heavy stick. _They're hurting him! And he can't hit back! Those cowards!_ It made him slightly upset...not to mention, he could feel...a hot, fiery anger...bubbling up inside him. Oh, Zidane had been mad before. But not...like...this! It felt a lot different, not to mention a lot more dangerous...He stuffed it down deep inside him; his teachers had told him a thousand times that "Don't ever let anger get control of you in a fight! It will kill you!" 

But the fight went on. Block, whack, hurt them, don't let them hurt you...there was no way for him to get away, Zidane had noticed they'd cut off all ways to escape a bit earlier. He heard Cloud cry, "Oof!" and noticed that they'd not only kicked him this time, but someone had gotten out a knife and got Cloud in the face. 

_Cloooud! Oh no! Will Tifa get to see you again?_ He remembered the picture that Cloud carried around; Cloud had described Tifa so well that he knew what she'd really looked like (not black and white). _She'll cry! She'll never laugh again if he never comes home! Nooo!_ He felt like his heart was about to tear in two! Just then he got knocked down because he was distracted. He managed to scramble away with only a slight nick. However, that awful anger grew inside him, like a living thing. It wouldn't stop growing either; every time he didn't quite manage to block a blow (which was just part of a fight) or someone smacked Cloud again, it grew worse; it was getting hard to hide it inside. As it grew worse, he noticed...something odd. There was something...deep inside his soul...that seemed to be awakening, like a cat waking up from a very long sleep. It stretched. It then began to fight to get free. That fact worried Zidane a bit, but he was able to ignore it. Someone hit Cloud again, then whacked him a bit in the shoulder with a blade; Cloud managed to dodge the blade a bit but it still got him slightly. That only made Zidane more angry, he began to see red, literally...While he was distracted by that, his attackers knocked him down again. 

"Any last words, you little monkey-tailed **freak**?" 

That was the last straw. Zidane rolled away quickly, got up, and then yelled, "You damn monsters! Leave me and Cloud alone!!!" At that very moment, whatever-it-was deep inside him...broke free. He cried out in surprise. It was an...incredible power...that surged through him. It took away his fatigue...he felt a lot stronger...and...the anger seemed to slip from his mind, though he could still feel it. It was like if he was once removed from his feelings; not quite a trance, but close. The creeps backed away a bit. Zidane noticed that his hands were glowing...pink. _Never mind! I gotta try and save Cloud!_ He easily managed to get rid of his tormenters; suddenly they were just too slow. _Wow! What IS this, I wonder?_ He noticed Cloud was looking at him with some surprise and delight. "Good for you" his face seemed to say. 

He ran over in that direction, but one of the leaders jumped in front of him. 

"It stops here, you freak!" 

They fought. _Stuck, gotta get over there! Gotta get Cloud loose!_ A word suddenly jumped into his mind..."Dyne"? Backing away a bit and blocking, he thought about it...Like if he'd remembered a line he'd forgot in a play, he somehow remembered a inner dance. Reaching inside, he started it...after the first step, he remembered the second, and so on. Without realizing why, he spread his arms wide while he drew a power he'd never known before from somewhere inside him, while a couple of words echoed through his mind, as from far away: "Free Energy". He let whatever-it-was go, and the guy screamed and was knocked out. 

_I'd better not do that again..._ he thought, for he could feel that that trick had taken more mental strength than he was used to. _Better not push it too far; if it's anything like magic, I'd rather not be flat on my back, thanks!_ He got to Cloud and used his dagger to slash through net and rope quick; Cloud got out. There was a scream. 

"Look out! He's loose!" 

The main leader of the gang came up. "That's as far as you go. You two aren't getting out of here alive..." 

"Who says?" Cloud said in a very icy tone of voice. "You've had it!" 

He raised his weapon; sideways at first, then so it was straight up and down and the point was above his head. As he did so, a whirlwind of white light swirled around him. A miniature ball of light, like a star, then glowed on the top of his sword. Some rays of light shot out. He then ran up to the idiot and started slashing...there was a green trail of light trailing behind his sword. After about the fifth slash, Zidane lost track, but it was a lot of slashes. Suddenly, Cloud jumped up and moved his arms so his sword was over one shoulder and behind him. The tip glowed again like a miniature star with a swooshing noise; he brought the sword over his shoulder and slashed down with a loud noise. The guy fell down, unconscious. One of the kids reached out and threw some Phoenix Down on him._Bringing him back, eh? Hope he isn't still mad.._ The boss of the Tronark Gang said, "Let's get out of here...too strong...it ain't worth it..." They helped their boss up and ran away. 

Cloud took out a rag, cleaned his sword, and sheathed it. _Whew! Never expected that, but I'm proud of him for discovering that he could do Alanna's trick of "taking it to the next level". Heh, I bet **that**'s what power that Bahamut sensed..._ "You okay?" 

"Yeah." The glow disappeared in a shower of sparks; Zidane was shaking a bit. Yes, he'd been hurt some, but that was easily remedied... 

"Can you please come over here, I'd better use the Cure spell...on both of us. They wern't playing nice..." 

"Yup. What was that attack you used on the boss, anyway?" 

"Oh, that? That was Omnislash." 

"Why didn't you use that in the first place?" 

Cloud sighed. "Well, for one, it's a special kind of an attack that only people from my world can do. It's called a Limit...anyway, it's easier to do that kinda attack when I'm furious. I could do it without getting mad, but it takes longer to build up for it then..." 

"Oh, I get it. You wern't mad then!" 

Cloud nodded. "Anyway, even if I'd decided to try using it without getting mad, it'd take too long. I'd get clobbered before I could actually do it." 

Zidane nodded and came closer. Soon as he was close enough, Cloud called upon the All Materia and the Master Magic to cast a mid-level Cure spell since he knew the price of casting a spell like that on more than one target...or in this case, person. He heard Zidane gasp softly. _Guess he felt the difference..._ He turned out to be right, for Zidane said, "That wasn't quite the same as last time..." 

"You're right. I used a slightly stronger version that time..." 

"Oh...why use a stronger version when you didn't need to?" 

"Didn't you know? When you cast a spell upon multiple targets, it's weakened. I usually cast a bit of a stronger spell then to make up for it." 

"Gotcha. Hey the bread got ruined..." It had too, in the scuffle the basket had been crushed and the bread had either been stepped on or reduced to crumbs. 

"Darn it. Well, that's replaceable." _You're not though. Don't think they'll bother you again after **that**._ "Anyway, you'd better have a word with Alanna as soon as you can." 

"Why?" 

"She can do that trick you just did too; she called it "taking it to the next level". She mentioned once that erm...power has to be controlled a bit; you'd better learn how fast before..." 

Zidane's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, now I get it. Don't worry, I'll talk to her." 

It didn't take long for them to replace the bread and the basket, though after that...they both were a mess and the baker commented on that. Cloud could tell that Zidane didn't like it, so after they got what they needed...they both went home for a much-needed bath and change of clothes. 

* * *

The next day, they took what was left (Cloud had gotten rid of the furniture; he was planning to leave soon for good anyway) and went to meet Alanna at the gate. She nodded at them. 

"Ready? Let's get da heck out ah here!" She smiled. 

They both nodded and they left Treno...for her airship, of course. They were lucky this time; no monsters pounced on them. It didn't take them long to get on Alanna's airship. Alanna removed her keys from one pocket and undid the locks on the chains that chained up the controls of her airship. Then she removed the chains and uncermoniously dumped them in a corner. Then she grabbed hold of the controls. 

"Okay, we're flyin' outta here. Hang on!" She pulled a lever; the engines purred into life. The next second, Cloud could feel the ship under him rise into the air; then they were off. The Angel's Wing wasn't as fast as Cid's Highwind, but they were making good time. Alanna handled the controls like a master; Cloud admitted to himself that he wouldn't know how to handle these. _Never flew an airship, even when I was with ShinRa anyway. Cid always did that._ He was enjoying the ride, however. They chatted on the way about things; Zidane wasn't too anxious to get back to Tantalus, though he felt he had to. _Wonder why?_

It wasn't long before they came up to a big, circular thing. "South Gate. It's a gate for airships." Alanna said. "Okay..." she murmured to herself as she switched on a device above her head, "...is security lax today or not?" 

It turned out that the people who were at the gate wern't being lazy that day. A voice that came out of one of the horns in the clumsy looking device said, "Airship, identify yourself!" 

Alanna looked up at the device. "This is da Angel's Wing, owned by Alanna Alys Mustokova an' Mavya Javvins." 

"Where are you headed?" the voice demanded. 

"Ta Lindbulm...goin' home." 

"Okay then." The disk wall in front of them opened, like a gate. "Pass on then, and may fortune be with you!" Alanna shut the device off and they flew through the gate. It wasn't long after that when they came upon a....castle that Cloud thought was impossibly too big? 

"Well, here we are. Lindbulm." 

Zidane was obviously as surprised as Cloud, for he said. "Wow! I've never seen Lindbulm from above before..." 

Alanna turned her head slightly and winked at Zidane. "What? Ya hid below deck in that big theater ship when ya were with Tantalus?" Zidane nodded. "Well, that's okay. It's great from above, eh?" 

"Yeah! I'm not hiding below deck ever again..." 

Alanna winked again. "Good for you. Well, we'd better land...inside this time." 

Cloud then said, "Wha? You can land inside?" 

"Yeah, they got da only indoor airship docking yard that I know ah." She pulled some controls and they flew in. The town was really inside this...fortress. They went through a irised gate and landed by a real airship dock. They got off; Alanna nodded to the guard, which was a bit grouchy and demanded to see "the ownership papers". Alanna promptly got some papers out of her pocket and showed them to the guard. The guard apologized (he'd thought Alanna had stolen the airship) and let them go. 

Zidane then nodded to Cloud. "I'd better get going..." 

"I gotcha. I'll ask Alanna where the hideout is so we can chat later." Zidane nodded, then ran off. _He's perfectly safe here. I'm sure of that._ He turned to Alanna. 

"Alanna? You goin' home too?" 

"Well, I gotta make sure ya got a place ta stay, so we'll go ta Mavya's house--that's the noble gal I saved--first. Maybe she'll be willing ta wheedle her dad inta letting ya crash there. Ya gonna be here long?" 

Cloud shook his head. "I'm just gonna give Zidane a few days to settle in, then I'd better go." 

"Time ta call You-Know-Who and leave, right?" she said softly. 

Cloud nodded. "Let's go." 

Lucky for him this time, Mavya was willing to help her friend out. She got her dad to let Cloud have the spare room; otherwise he was on his own. Alanna gave Cloud a map of the city since it was easy to get lost in here; it was a huge town. Why, it was so big, you had to ride a special airship to get between the four districts in town! She explained she lived in the Industrial District and exactly where she was going to meet him tomorrow(a bar not too far from where the hideout was; Alanna explained she was going to go get Zidane and bring him there) After she explained that, Alanna headed home. 

* * *

The next day, they met at the bar that Alanna had mentioned. Cloud noticed she looked like--and seemed to be--a guy at the moment when she turned up. _Got her usual disguise on then._, he thought. He nodded, remembered to call her 'Alan' for the moment, and then she excused herself for a while. When she came back, she seemed to be a bit flustered, but Zidane was with her. He was walking a little funny. When he got closer, Cloud could see why. Someone had beaten Zidane. 

Cloud's eyes widened a bit. "Zidane, what happened?" 

"Baku tanned my hide for running off like that..." 

"He beat you?"_Yikes, Alanna wasn't kidding earlier when she said Baku was rough..._

"Yea, but I realized something while he was doing it...I really belong in Tantalus." 

_Hmm...found his Promised Land, kind of? During a beating? Well, not my place to judge. Don't wanna judge their way of disciplining kids, either. Not my place to yell about it though..._ "Boy, he really did get you good, didn't he?" Zidane nodded. "I know he punished you, but would you mind if I used Cure on you so you don't hurt so much?" 

"Yeah, thanks!" Cloud went ahead and cast the spell; after he finished, he could hear Zidane sigh with relief. _Bet he hurt!_ They went and sat on the barstools and got some root beer. 

Alanna nodded to Zidane. 

"Sorry ta have ta show myself like this, but you know Baku..." 

Zidane nodded. "He **still** doesn't know that you're disguising yourself!" he whispered. 

"Yup. 'Tanyway, we'll have ta go back ta my place for a while ta train. Can't do that with Baku around; I think he knows the difference between swordstaves as it is." 

Zidane nodded. Cloud then said, "Zidane...I think it's almost time for me to get moving...." 

Zidane looked at him, a bit sad. "Awww...but I know, you have to or else..." 

_Wish I didn't have to go, but the way Nora talked, it's unavoidable. I'm gonna miss him, the scamp..._ "Yeah. I don't just wanna disappear on you. Could happen..." _I'll just let him fill in the rest._ "...but I'm gonna wait a couple of days. Might be dangerous, but..." 

Zidane nodded. "I gotcha." 

They continued to discuss when and set up a time, so that Zidane could meet them at the airship dock. Alanna explained to Zidane (though she was mostly fibbing to cover Cloud's butt) that she was going to take him somewhere so he could wait it out quietly until the 'Powers that Be' decided to take Cloud away. Then they parted ways. Cloud went to go check out the market. Alanna and Zidane headed for the air cabs so they could go to the Industrial District (and practice the swordblade in her back yard, no doubt). 

* * *

The day came. Cloud headed for the airship dock and met Alanna before he got there. Just as they got to the airship, Zidane ran in. 

"Hey!" 

"Hey there Zidane. Was just about to get going though..." 

Zidane nodded. "Do you think...we'll ever see each other again?" 

Cloud shook his head. "Don't think so. Usually when I leave a world, it's for good. I miss the friends I made on Ramza's world...I've never been able to go back, though." 

"I guess this is bye then..." He looked a bit upset. Cloud understood why. He was going to miss Zidane, and it was obivous that Zidane was going to miss him. Suddenly, he got an idea. 

_Wait a second...maybe there's something I can do. I think Aeris would approve..._ "Just a second. Just because I miss them doesn't mean I don't remember friends that I left behind. That's all you can do...there's no real way for me to contact you once I get home." 

"You mean it?" 

"Yeah but..." he reached into his pack and dug out the Carbon Bangle that had once belonged to Aeris. "...I want you to have this." 

"Whatever for?" 

"To remember me by. This once belonged to Aeris, but I once used one like this at one time. I've got better armor now." 

"That was...Aeris's?" 

Cloud nodded. "I saved it for a memento, though now...I don't know why I keep it. Anyway, just don't forget me. I won't forget you, I promise. It's all anyone can do when this kinda thing happens." _At least I can keep that promise once I get my memory fixed._

Zidane nodded back. "I won't, don't worry." He took the bangle and put it in a pocket; then they clasped hands for the last time. Cloud waved as he picked up his pack and boarded the Angel's Wing with Alanna. As soon as they got in the cockpit, they took off, leaving Zidane behind. 

Alanna grinned. "I know just da spot...remember?" 

Cloud smiled back. "Yeah, you told me that you knew of a place that no one in their right mind would go to." 

"Yeah, da Ice Cave...da end by a certain forest. You'll see." 

It took an hour to get where Alanna had wanted to go. She landed; this time she didn't reach for the chains. Cloud asked, "Why aren't you chaining it up?" 

"There's nobody 'round here ta steal it, Cloud. Let's go." 

Cloud nodded, grabbed his pack, and they got off the airship. They were over near a cave. Behind him was some woods. Cloud started to go toward the woods, but Alanna grabbed his arm. 

"Don't go in there. That's Evil Forest! Nobody's made it out alive...we're heading ta da Ice Cave instead." 

Cloud didn't need to be told twice. She added, "Better have yer sword out, Cloud. We're in da thick ah the Mist an' you never know what may jump out..." 

Cloud nodded. They entered the cave. There was a couple of minor encounters with monsters; these were quickly dealt with. After they got to the second room, Alanna said, "I think we've gone far enough. Don't need ta go all the way ta the top, you know." 

"Hm?" 

"This cave leads above da mist. Most people just fly, though, so it's never used...besides, there's only a little farming village above us. Who'd wanna go there unless yer a trader? And traders usually have airships anyway." 

Cloud laughed. She was right. "Okay, let's get this over with.", he said. He felt a silly tear trickle down one cheek as he reached for the orange materia. Alanna noticed and asked, "What's wrong?" 

Cloud answered, "I'm gonna miss that...scamp. I know I gotta go, but it's still hard..." 

Alanna put one hand on Cloud's shoulder. "I know how ya feel. You and him got ta be pretty close. Leaving friends behind's hard. I promise I'll remind Zidane that 'he prolly misses you too' if he says something about it." 

Cloud wiped away the tear and smiled. "Thanks, Alanna." He concentrated on the materia in his hand, calling Nora for the last time. Even though Alanna was around, it didn't take much convincing for Nora to show up--physically this time. She didn't float this time. She stood there on the ice. Cloud noticed that Alanna only looked a little startled. 

Nora then raised her head and said, "Cloud, you needed me?" 

Cloud nodded. "I think it's over now...am I right?" 

Nora nodded. "That it is. I admit, the way that last fight ended surprised me. I was cheering you two on...but I didn't expect Zidane to find that...power...for a few more years. Oh well!" 

Alanna grinned. "Guess ya can be surprised sometimes! I'd hate ta think ya were totally infallible!" 

Nora grinned back. "Well, it's not mine to know everything there is. There are always things that can surprise one, even if one knows the future. Cloud, anything you want to ask before I open the way home for you?" 

"I just wanted to know...is Zidane gonna be all right?" 

Nora smiled. "Don't worry, he will be. Baku may be a bit mean, but Zidane'll live and fulfill his destiny in the end. You did well." 

Cloud nodded. Nora continued, "For future reference, let me give you a hint: I spoke to my sister. She told me that when Chaos is finally destroyed, your friend Vincent will know because of the connection between them. Once Vincent tells you that that awful...creature is gone it will be safe to mention the Guardians. That is, if you and Zidane ever meet again. I thought you might want to know just in case." 

"Will we?" 

"I don't know for certain. There's a part of the future when Zidane gets in the adventure that causes him to save the world that is clouded to me. All I know is that it's the final part of the adventure. My guess is in that last part I must get involved. It's very possible the reason I can't see that part very clearly is the fact that I can't see my own future. The Council of Twelve knows and has said they'll help, for they told me there's no other way." 

"And how will I know?" Alanna asked. 

Nora smiled. "Easy enough. The adventure will begin when Tantalus is asked to kidnap a princess. Soon after that, the Mist will disappear for a while, then reappear worse than ever, and then it will disappear again, that time for good. That's how you will know, lady thief." 

Alanna nodded. Nora then said, "Ready to go home, Cloud?" He nodded. She raised one arm, hummed a bit, and carelessly tossed a ball of light Cloud's direction; Cloud guessed she'd removed the freeze she had placed on his ageing when the adventure had first begun, so he didn't say anything. "Wait until the portal turns to the color of the Lifestream before you run for it. If you don't, the result could be...unfortunate." 

Nora then reached for the chain around her neck, pulled out a heavy looking and ornate pendant out of her clothes, and sang two words. Cloud didn't know what they meant, but the necklace shimmered and changed...into a staff, with a big circle on top. There were two stars on it as well, one inside the other. The inner one had some deep cracks in it, however. She raised the staff and began to sing again. Cloud was able to make out three words, though they didn't make sense; "Chronos vai Triiger". Most of the rest he didn't catch, though it was a very nice song. A dark circle formed on the ground in front of her; a glowing white star appeared in the center. It opened up into a shimmering circle. Then the tune of her song changed. She seemed to make some kind of plea; there was an answering call as from very far away. The two harmonized and sung together. The shimmering circle changed from white to blue, then to the color of the Lifestream. Once that happened, she stopped singing and started humming. Cloud turned to Alanna, waved goodbye, then stepped into the portal that Nora had created. Then there was blackness for a time...then he found himself behind the Pharmacy, where this adventure had begun. A lady that reminded him of Nora stood before him, humming. She stopped; the lifestream settled down and the portal closed. 

She then said, "I am Tara...Nora told me. I know you're in a hurry right now, but if you could call me later on, I will restore your memory. I'm sorry about this..." She talked more softly than Nora. Cloud thought Tara reminded him of a wild bird, since she was trembling and obviously wanted to run away. _Don't wanna scare her, she's scared enough. If this's how most Guardians act, no wonder people don't know about them!_

He then said, "It's okay. I'd better get Goldie and get home...soon as I get some batteries for my cell phone." 

Tara nodded and disappeared. Cloud came out from behind the Pharmacy, ran for the general store, and bought some batteries, which he promptly put in his cell phone. Putting the cell phone where he could get it, he left Mideel and whistled. A gold 'bush' stood up, became a chocobo, and said "Wak? Wak? Warrrk!!" and ran up to Cloud. Cloud scratched the chocobo behind the ear tufts. It had a bridle. "Hey there Goldie!" he said, and mounted. 

He sighed and then said, "Let's go home, Goldie. Giddyap!" 

It wasn't long before Mideel was behind him. _Good to be home...but...I'm not gonna forget you, Zidane. May we meet again sometime..._

* * *

Back on Gaia, Nora appeared in her cave. She murmured, "Whew. All the promises and my oath have been kept, thank the Light." She touched a part of the wall. It became transparent. There, in the wall, was a silver bow with crystal tips and a quiver of arrows that looked like they wre made out of diamond, crystal, and silver. She reached through the wall to touch the bow; at her touch, it behaved like water, except water didn't just sit there like stone.

She sighed. _It would of been a lot easier for me just to shoot a few arrows to save Zidane. But that's forbidden...the Council gave me some leeway, but I can't use my weapon skill to help him..._

She yanked her hand away from the bow and out of the wall. The wall turned back to normal; her hand was still dry, however. She then turned around and then gazed at the floating crystals. "Don't worry, ye wronged ones!", she murmured. "The day is swiftly coming when I will be able to set things right..." _May it come soon!_, she thought. _I don't know how much more of this nonsense I can take...Necron, ye who is Chaos in another guise, it's all your fault that I had to do what I didn't want to do..._

* * *

  
  
_Gaia, six years later..._

Zidane walked out of the Lindbulm Inn and stretched. Vivi had ran off a bit ago. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. _It was nice to see Freya last night._, he thought. _Been a while...anyway, I know I should go to the hideout and let Baku know I made it but...been wanting a swordstaff for a while and I think I finally got the gil to get it made. I also found some of the weapons I'll need to get it done, too._ He smiled to himself. _I think I'll go down to the armory and go get what I need...then to the blacksmith._ He smiled at a pretty girl that went by, then ran up the street and around the corner. As he ran, he thought: _Alanna said before she left on that trip around the world that I was better than her. She was proud._

Thinking of Alanna reminded him of the time when Baku had finally unmasked her as a girl. He smiled, trying not to laugh. _Wasn't funny at the time, but well, I still remember when it happened... _  


_It had been about three months since Cloud had left. Since Baku wouldn't leave 'Alan' alone, I'd taken to meeting Alanna at the bar at a specified time and then we went to her house for training. We'd just gotten there and were doin' the usual when it happened. I had gotten turned around just right and saw Baku standing there, looking angry and shocked. I said "Uh-oh!"_   
  
_ Alanna had then asked, "What uh-oh?" She signaled a halt and looked around...and saw Baku."Uh-oh for sure! Baku, get your butt over here!"_   
  
_ He ran over and said, "ALAN! But you're a girl!"_   
_ "Darn right I'm a girl. Always have been, I just know disguises real good."_   
  
_ He turned, like he was going to yell at me, but Alanna put her hand on his shoulder. "What, have ya got a quarrel with him...or is it me? Think about it, ya old thief!"_   
  
_ He did and decided that his quarrel was with Alanna, not me. She told me to go get behind the pell if it bothered me, and explained to Baku, "Sheesh, don't call 'im a coward. He respects both ah us, ya can't 'spect 'im ta wanna watch...just too painful..."_   
  
_ From what I heard, it came to "settling it with the blade", I wasn't surprised, but I didn't watch the fight and was pretty upset with the whole thing. There was a lot of noise, then Alanna yelled "HA! Gotcha!" That's when I looked. Somehow Alanna had managed to disarm Baku and get him on his back on the ground. He turned out not to be badly hurt...except for his pride...He respected Alanna after that and was glad that she had started teaching me..._

_Those were the times, those were sure the times. After that, Alanna often came to the hideout without the guy disguise on to teach. Heh, it's a shame she got Mavya to get her that boat and left the Angel's Wing behind...I don't know Mavya well enough to borrow that airship though._

He got to the fountain, flirted a bit with a girl that went by (he'd gotten really good at that game) and got to the armory rather quickly. As he walked in, something caught his eye. It was a really old, rusty suit of armor like a certain knight he knew wore..._Oh, yuk._, he thought. He then muttered under his breath, "What a cheesy suit of armor...Who would buy this crap?" _Yeek, that stuff's really bad. Why does Steiner use that rusty crap? Besides, he SMELLS! Doesn't he ever take a bath?! Though I didn't smell too good either before last night...couldn't be helped._ He had to resist the urge to give the armor a kick. He decided it was better to ignore that trashy armor and get his business done. Just as he passed that nasty looking armor, he noticed something out of the corner of one eye on the wall. He turned to get a better look. It was...  
...a big sword...on the wall...like what Cloud used to use... 

_Oh my! Where'd they get that?_ He didn't realize he'd come closer to that wall until he'd already done it. 

"I remember a guy with spiky hair who carried something like this.", he breathed. Oh, yes he remembered. The guy who'd jumped into his life...taught him a lot and protected him when Zidane couldn't do it himself...and then left. _You taught me so much, you spiky-head. Helped me reach deeper than I'd ever been able to reach before._ He reached in his pocket and fingered something which his new friends would of wondered about if they ever saw it. It was a bangle made of carbon steel with three indentations in it. Two of them were connected by a strange channel. _Hadn't thought much about him for years...boy, I still miss him a bit...we were really good friends...it was the first time I found anyone who really understood..._

He smiled, shook himself out of the memory, and then thought fiercely: _Cloud, you spiky-head, you'd have better made it home okay. If I ever find you and you're dead, I'll kill you again!_ Then he turned to go to the front counter...and to get what he needed. 

Go to the Author's Note/Credits? 


	7. Author's Note And Credits

Author's Notes and Credits 

Well! I never thought I'd get this done. I've been working on this through Spanish and finals, though having to use the computer at odd times just to get stuff done, to arguing with my sisters (Who hog the the computer). Sure been a long and wild ride, even with the problems I had. It's been really fun writing this, and I hope you had a good time reading it :-) Wanna see the Reference List for this story? 

Anyway, there's a few credits I have to mention: 

**Thanks To:**

My brother Jon, for the "bounty system" idea. He once said when FF8 came out that he missed it. When I asked what he meant, he said he always thought that in the other games people paid money/gave items for other people to kill those dangerous monsters--in other words, a bounty. I altered it a little here, but that's where it came from. I admit he also gave me a reason **why** Cloud spikes his hair too; let's just say that "wings" in boy's hair runs in our family...*laughs*! It's caused by washed curly hair that gets slept on wet by the way--Jon deals with his by stickin' his head in the sink, but my youngest brother Jared **spikes** his!) Oh, visit Jon's FF page sometime..it's at . He's one of the best FF game tips guys out there! Besides, he can use a few hits/help ;-) 

Akira Toriyama, for the inspiration for how Trance works. I think Square used DBZ's SSJ for inspiration for it...the mechanism is not the same(in FF9, it has to do with the strength of one's **soul/spirit** while SSJ has to do more with **strength**), but the way SSJ and the Trance are both **triggered** is the same(anger, pain). After all, from what I understand from reading DBZ fansites, DBZ is to Japan like Superman is to us. 

Mercedes Lackey, for some of the weapon training ideas. If you're thinking about writing a fic about learning how to use weapons, Do Not Pass Go! Go directly to the bookstore and check out her books, especially _By The Sword_ and her Valdamar Series. You'll be glad you did! 

Tamora Pierce, for her _Song Of the Lioness Quartet_. This series is another must-read if you want to know how people learn how to use weapons :-) And I got a character's name from here--Alanna. Tho my Alanna doesn't share **anything** with Ms. Pierce's Alanna except the first name--and a name-shortening joke :-) even tho for Ms. Pierce's Alanna it isn't a joke. It's life and death. 

Vonda N. McIntyre, for her Star Wars book called _The Crystal Star_. That gave me the germ of the idea why you don't see Zidane's swordstaff strapped on his back or something, he still has the dagger sheath on his belt even after you get him the Butterfly Sword. One of the major story elements in this book is a lightsaber that can only be turned on via the Force. I _altered_ it here but there you have it: there's another Star Wars ref in that kind of weapon besides the obvious Star Wars : Episode 1 ref. _Crystal Star_ is not the best Star Wars book out there, so I think if you want to read it, you should check it out at the library. It's the kind of book that you either like it or you hate it. 

Anne McCaffrey, for her Talent series. I borrowed some of the whys and wherefores of using Talent for magic use in the FF worlds. I'd recommend these :-) The DragonLady outdid herself for most of the books in this series. 

A. Tadeo, K. Megura, and Fritz Fraundorf--for their FAQs. A. Tadeo wrote an incredible FF9 FAQ(not on RPGamer at this time--his e-mail is down or I understand TRC would already have his FAQs posted[If you ever see his FAQs on RPGamer, you know what happened!]) K. Megura wrote the best FF7 FAQ out there, and Fritz wrote a very good Tactics FAQ. I used A. Tadeo's FF9 FAQ to help me remember locations/keep ablities/charas straight. I used K. Megura's FF7 FAQ for locations on "Vida"(the ones I couldn't remember how to spell, of course) and to help me keep the spells/summons straight. In the case of Fritz's Tactics FAQ? I used that to figure out what summons FF Tactics and FF7 had in common as well as to help me with Tactics refs(since I actually haven't gotten around to playing that game yet). Thanks guys...keep those FAQs coming! And to K. Megura: Whatever you're doin' now since you quit writing FAQs, I wish you the best of luck! 

The authors of a Reader's Digest book called _Back to Basics_. This is were I found out that wood stoves are **really** balky("like almost having another child in the family") and that pioneers made a lot of cheese(why? Cheese kept better than milk, especially the way they made it back then! That's why I thought on Gaia, cheese would be more common than milk--they prolly wouldn't have refrigerators) 

Viper from the RPGamer boards, for telling me **exactly** what Zidane said in the weapons shop :-) (He wasn't a staffer when he helped me out) Those two lines have **never** been put in a game script. Thanks a bunch! 

Uncle Pervy and Jonathan Lundback, from the RPGFML list, for helping me keep my grammar and the game references straight and giving me a good "virtual slap" when I needed it up until the third chapter. Thanks guys! And thanks to anyone else on the RPGFML list who helped me that I don't remember your names! 

Also, a big **thanks** to a girl on the boards whose username was the Happy Mask Salesgirl (AKA. Tara) She inspired me to get this thing out of the "eh" bin and get back to work on it, even though I had Spanish and stuff to do. 

Not only that, thank you Aquila Hawk and the people on the DSL List for going over the later chapters! Couldn't of kept everything straight and made sure I didn't have any mud on my face without you guys! 

Piers Anthony, for inspiring me to get my butt in front of the keyboard. He wrote a autobiography called _Bio of An Ogre_; I'd recommend that book to anyone who's thinking about writing anything. Especially the boilerplate essays at the end. He really knows his stuff :-) 

And a big **thanks** to a certain Intro to Psych teacher in Texas. I borrowed some of Alanna's speech pattern from her...like "That 'ol dog don't hunt". I can tell you, you were REALLY tired if you slept in **her** class. Shame I don't remember that red-head teacher/counselor's name... 

Last but not least, thanks to Squaresoft, for making these two great games! As well as FF4, FF5, and FF6 (no, I haven't really played FF2, FF8 or FF10 yet) 

Anyway, there is a sequel to this story coming I think, since I finally beat FF9 after quite some time (Yay! Don't flame me for bein' slow, it's not that it took me forever, it's just I couldn't play while I was at school, the PS2 was at home. However, I'm the first and only person in the house to **kick Ozma's can** though! **Yay!**) 

Anyway, if you wish to contact me for flames, complements, whatever, click here to e-mail me, or you can IM me: 

ICQ: #65464245 (the nick is White Ninja)   
AOL IM: MaryAliceDa   
MSN: maryadavies@hotmail.com   
Yahoo:maryadavies 

Thanks for reading...bye for now! 

Mary-Alice Davies  
Never give up!! :-)


	8. The Ref List

Reference List 

In the spirit of FF9, I snuck some references to other games/some books into this story. Did you catch them all? Well, here's the more obscure or vague ones: 

Nora has two refs--she looks kinda like an elf(FF1, FF2 (Origins), and FF3j), and the name of her job is a "Guardian"(FF6--ya know..the Guardian? Tho Nora's nothing like that...). Also, you prolly noticed that bow near the end...that's a FF4 ref. (What did Rosa use?) 

I don't need to tell you about Chaos, do I? Actually, the reason there's a connection in my mind with Chaos/Necron is there was (I kid you not) a supposed "design document" on the old GIA that I swear looked like Chaos. I thought that might be Necron at the time I heard about that boss because of it. I was wrong(he doesn't), but I'm not getting rid of that connection :-) 

Shiva saying that "if a Eidolon is killed, the person that Eidolon is joined to also dies" is a big fat FF4 ref.(I thought it was obvious) You know what happens to the summoner when her summoned creature dies in that game, don't ya? 

When Cloud is thinking that "they'd have to cut my arms off to make me get rid of the Ultima Weapon"--that's a _Vows and Honor_ ref. One of the main charas in the first book, Tarma, actually says something very similar at the end of that book. That idea struck me as so right for a chara's best weapon that I altered that line and used it here (I didn't remember the exact line, anyway). Hey, in real life it wouldn't be "the most powerful weapon" right? 

Alanna--well, she's complicated. Her first name refers to the main character of _ The Song Of The Lioness Quartet_. The only thing the two Alannas share is the hair (they both have red hair) and the fact that both of them shorten their name when disguised as guy. That's it. The middle name is an obvious Phantasy Star ref, while her last name? Lifted off one of my psychology professors. Her speech pattern is partly lifted off my Intro to Psychology prof (yes she really did talk like that). Her personality is based on a few professors I had, plus a friend or two(and prolly a bit of me--you can't help that with your own character) The only thing she shares with me is the age(I was 28 going on 29 myself when I began this story). And obviously, the idea of a female thief is a Final Fantasy Tactics reference. 

The "swordstaff" retracting/extending like that is a nod to _The Crystal Star_. That's a Star Wars book(check the credits for who wrote it). 

The expression "swordbrother/swordsister/swordsib" is yet another _Vows and Honor_ ref. However, it was "shieldbrother/shieldsister/shieldsib" in those books, but there's no shields in either FF7 or FF9--not really. 

Cloud's hair bein' a mess in Chapter 4 like that (bird's wings) is a poke at my little brothers. Guess who has that problem?? And the youngest spikes his hair... 

Tamorands are a _Wizard of Oz_ reference...specifically, a ref from the _Road to Oz _by L. Frank Baum. 

The name "Boko" is a FF5 refrence, and I'm not apoligizing for that name. See, I imagined that "Boko" is the equivalent of the name "Rover" for a dog. The way I was raised, if you name a dog "Rover" that had better be a **really dumb dog**, that's no joke. So, I reasoned that if you name a chocobo "Boko" that had better be a **really dumb chocobo!** And since the chocobo you get from that guy in Kalm is _really bad_ even if you max him out, well...you can guess... 

"Settling a dispute with the blade" is a _Protector of the Small_ ref. Again, this is altered a bit--in the original, it was "settle a dispute with the lance" No lances here! 

"Icicle" has a very...unusual history. It's a Harry Potter refrence, but you'll never find that character in any HP books. Why? Because at one time J.K. Rowling had been thought to have said that she was gonna use that for a name of a female Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, per a report on a reliable fan site (which is now dead, I'm sad to report). It turned out that either J. K. Rowling was misquoted or it was a stupid rumor, for she came back and said basically she didn't know where they got that and that there was never gonna be such a character. I felt sorry for Icicle, so I stole the name for a nickname for Cloud's mysterious teacher (That's why he's confused, he isn't sure if that's her real name) ^_^ 

The line that Cloud remembers about not breaking your partner actually is based on something my judo teacher said; he said "If you break your partner, you might not get another one" *laughs*! Though it's too true! 

The fact that Alanna trains with weighted weapons is yet another "Song of The Lioness Quartet" ref. Except that Alanna in there practices with a sword WAY too big for her, not weighted weapons. 

Did you see that "Chronos vai Triiger"? Yes, that's "Crono Trigger" misspelled on purpose. And the way the portal first appears is a very obivous Chrono Trigger ref. Hey, you mention "time travel" and "Squaresoft" or "Square Enix" in the same sentence, chances are you're talking about Chrono Trigger. 

Go back to the credits? 


End file.
